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NCT Number: NCT07421830

An Empowering Parent Training Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Preschool Aged Children With Autism

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if WE PLAY for Parents can improve caregivers' knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and skills promoting physical activity with their young child with autism. The main questions it aims to answer are: (1) Do participants who complete WE PLAY for Parents improve their knowledge, behavior intentions, perceived behavior control, self-efficacy, and parenting practices related to physical activity promotion with their child (Primary Hypotheses); and (2) Do participants view WE PLAY for Parents as acceptable, understandable, and feasible [secondary hypothesis)?

Researchers will compare the WE PLAY for Parents group [experimental arm] to a Waitlist Control group to see if there are differences in the variables listed in the primary hypothesis.

Participants will: (1) Complete a set of questionnaires at three timepoints: pre-training, post-training, and 3-month follow-up that each take between 10-15 minutes; (2) be randomly assigned to take the training over the next two weeks or be offered the training after 3 months.

The online training takes about 90 minutes. It includes watching informational videos, viewing video clips of adults helping children be active, reading handouts on behavior management tips and social stories, participating in an anonymous discussion board with other parents, and completing a self-assessment.

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Key information

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Autism Spectrum Disorder Autistic Disorder Behavior Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Mental Disorders Motor Activity Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

Location status: Recruiting

About this study

After completing a study interest form to determine eligibility and providing informed consent, participants will be randomized to the WE PLAY for Parents or a Waitlist Control group. At week 0, all participants will complete the pre-test survey and WE PLAY for Parents group participants will receive access to the WE PLAY for Parents intervention. At week 2, participants in both groups will complete a post-training survey. At week 14, participants in both groups will complete a three-month follow-up survey. At week 14, after completing the third survey, participants in the Waitlist Control group will receive access to WE PLAY for Parents.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Parents or caregivers (who are at least 18 years of age) of children with a diagnosis of autism.
  • The autism diagnosis for the child can be from a school or medical setting.
  • The parent or caregiver's child with autism must be between 2 years 11 months and 5 years, 11 months of age.
  • Parent or caregivers must be able to read and write in English.

Exclusion criteria

  • Parents or caregivers who do not have a child with autism.
  • Adults who do not have children.
  • Parents or caregivers who cannot read and write in English.

Treatment and study plan

Wellness Enhancing Physical Activity for Young Children: Parent Version (WE PLAY for Parents)

Behavioral

WE PLAY for Parents is an online intervention that includes an asynchronous online training with written material about physical activity promotion. Users view video clips of adults promoting active play with young children, review handouts with behavior management tips and social stories, participate in an anonymized discussion board with other parent participants, and complete a self-assessment. Intervention completion is takes between 1.5 to 2 hours.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change from Pre-Training in Parental Confidence in Promoting Physical Activity for their Children on the Preschool Parent Confidence Questionnaire (PPCQ) at Week 2

    Time frame: Pre-training (Week 0), Post-training (Week 2)

    The PPCQ is a 17-item, self-report instrument measuring parental confidence in promoting physical activity for their children (Coleman, 2010). The 17 items are rated 0 (not confident)-10 (totally confident), yielding a total score (0-170) with higher scores indicating higher parental self-efficacy. The PPCQ demonstrates strong reliability (α = 0.92-0.94).

  2. Change from Pre-Training in Parental Physical Activity Knowledge at Week 2

    Time frame: Pre-training (Week 0), Post-training (Week 2)

    The physical activity knowledge test measures parental knowledge of physical activity promotion among young children with autism. The measure contains 10 multiple-choice items that were developed based on content from the WE PLAY for Parents online intervention. Scores range from 0-10 with higher scores indicating stronger knowledge.

  3. Change from Pre-Training in Parental Behavioral Intention and Perceived Behavioral Control on the Adapted Early Childhood Educator Movement Behavioral Intention and Perceived Control Questionnaire (ECE-MBIPC) at Week 2

    Time frame: Pre-training (Week 0), Post-training (Week 2)

    An adapted version of the validated ECE-MBIPC assesses behavior intentions and perceived behavior control over five physical activity-related behaviors. The 10 items are rated using a 7-point, Likert-type scale, and generate composite scores for behavioral intention (5 items) and perceived control (5 items), with higher scores indicating greater likelihood of engagement. Composite scores range from 0-35 for behavioral intention and perceived control. The ECE-MBIPC questionnaire shows high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.85 across subscales) (Bruijns et al., 2023).

  4. Change from Pre-Training in Parental Physical Activity Promotion Practices on the Preschooler Physical Activity Parenting Practices (PPAPP) at Week 14

    Time frame: Pre-training (week 0), 3-month Follow-Up (week 14).

    The Engagement subscale of the PPAPP measures parental encouragement of physical activity. This subscale includes 15 items that are rated using a 5-point scale. Scores range from 0-75 and higher scores indicate more frequent PA-promoting practices. Cronbach's α values= 0.87-0.92 (O'Connor et al., 2014).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Describe Acceptability, Understanding, and Feasibility of the WE PLAY for Parents Intervention with the Usage Rating Profile-Intervention Revised (URP-IR) at Post-Training

    Time frame: Post-training (Week 2)

    The URP-IR assesses intervention acceptability (7 items), understanding (3 items), and feasibility (6 items). Items are rated using a 6-point scale with higher scores reflecting greater likelihood of intervention adoption and use (α = 0.72-0.95) (Briesch et al., 2013).

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Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Northeastern University

Other

Collaborators

  • American Psychological Association (APA)
  • Society for Pediatric Psychology

Registry information

Official study title

An Empowering Parent Training Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Preschool Aged Children With Autism: A Randomized Control Trial

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Feb 19, 2026
Registry last updated
Apr 8, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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