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Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT05339932

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Skills on Wheels

Manual wheelchairs (MWCs) are widely used by children with physical disabilities, yet many of these children are unable to use their wheelchair independently. Instead, they depend on others to push them. This dependency results in limited opportunities to decide what they want to do and where they want to go, leading to learned helplessness, social isolation, decreased participation, and restricted involvement in physical activities. Furthermore, unsafe MWC use increases the risk of injury, as highlighted by the 44,300 children treated each year in emergency departments for MWC-related injuries. While independent MWC mobility can positively influence quality of life, MWC skills training must also be provided to promote safe, independent MWC use. The effectiveness of MWC training programs for adults is well established, yet the current standard-of-care does not include MWC skills training for children and research regarding the efficacy of pediatric MWC skills training programs is limited. Skills on Wheels seeks to address these gaps and provide pilot data for a future large-scale, multi-site research project involving a randomized controlled trial. Aim 1 is to explore the influence of Skills on Wheels on children's MWC skills and confidence in their MWC use. Aim 2 is to investigate the influence of Skills on Wheels on children's psychosocial skills, social participation, and adaptive behavior.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Conditions

Spina Bifida Brain Damage, Chronic Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cerebral Palsy Congenital Abnormalities Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities Genetic Disease Genetic Diseases, Inborn Gross Motor Development Delay Mental Disorders Motor Skills Disorders Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Malformations Neural Tube Defects Neurodevelopmental Disorders Spinal Cord Diseases Spinal Cord Injuries Spinal Dysraphism Trauma, Nervous System Wounds and Injuries

Age range

5 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Grand Valley State University

Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503, United States

About this study

Manual wheelchairs (MWCs) are widely used by children with physical disabilities, yet many of these children are unable to use their wheelchair independently. Instead, they depend on others to push them. This dependency results in limited opportunities to decide what they want to do and where they want to go, leading to learned helplessness, social isolation, decreased participation, and restricted involvement in physical activities. Furthermore, unsafe MWC use increases the risk of injury, as highlighted by the 44,300 children treated each year in emergency departments for MWC-related injuries. While independent MWC mobility can positively influence quality of life, MWC skills training must also be provided to promote safe, independent MWC use. The effectiveness of MWC training programs for adults is well established, yet the current standard-of-care does not include MWC skills training for children and research regarding the efficacy of pediatric MWC skills training programs is limited. Skills on Wheels seeks to address these gaps and provide pilot data for a future large-scale, multi-site research project involving a randomized controlled trial. The final outcomes and significance of this project are as follows: Aim 1 is to explore the influence of Skills on Wheels on children's MWC skills and confidence in their MWC use and Aim 2 is to investigate the influence of Skills on Wheels on children's psychosocial skills, social participation, and adaptive behavior.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • 5-17 years of age. NOTE: Participants must be under 18 for the duration of the study.
  • Have a condition resulting in difficulties walking.
  • Use a manual wheelchair greater than or equal to 25% of the time
  • Are able to follow simple instructions per parent report
  • Has at least one parent/caregiver who is able to converse in English (as assessed by the PI during interactions over the phone and in person) due to safety concerns.
  • Resides in Michigan

Exclusion criteria

  • Any reason that it would not be safe for the child to participate in manual wheelchair training (as assessed by the PI, a licensed physical therapist)
  • The child's manual wheelchair is not safe (as assessed by the PI, a licensed physical therapist)

Treatment and study plan

Manual Wheelchair Skills Training

Other

The intervention involves manual wheelchair skills training.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in manual wheelchair skills performance

    Time frame: Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention

    This outcome will be assessed using the Wheelchair Skills Test (WST) and the Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) scales for performance. These complementary measures were designed to be used together and consist of a 0-3 rating scale for each of the 32 manual wheelchair skills included in these measures.

  2. Change in manual wheelchair skill performance

    Time frame: Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention

    This outcome will be assessed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) to identify, prioritize,and rate caregiver perceptions of children's performance of manual wheelchair skills and will provide the basis for manual wheelchair skills training intervention. A total of 4-5 occupational performance issues in the area of manual wheelchair skills will be identified and scored on a 1-10 scale for both the caregiver's perception of the child's performance and their satisfaction with the child's performance. This completed with children >8-years-old, if they are able.

  3. Change in manual wheelchair skill confidence

    Time frame: Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention

    This outcome will be assessed using the WheelConPed. This measure consists of a 0-4 rating skill for each of the 33 manual wheelchair use scenarios included in the measure.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in behavior

    Time frame: Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention

    This outcome will be measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) caregiver questionnaire covering children's behaviors and emotions. The SDQ encompasses 5 subscales: Emotional, Conduct, Hyperactivity/inattention, Peer relationships, and Prosocial behavior. The self-report version will also be completed by children ages 11-17, if they are able.

  2. Change in adaptive skills

    Time frame: Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention

    This outcome will be measured using the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, 3rd Edition (ABAS), a computer-based caregiver questionnaire to assess children's abilities in 11 adaptive skill areas within 3 domains (conceptual, social, and practical).

  3. Changes in perceptions regarding the manual wheelchair skills intervention

    Time frame: Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention

    Caregivers' perceptions of the manual wheelchair skills intervention will be gathered via a recorded qualitative interview. An interview guide has been developed for this purpose. Children will also participate in a recorded qualitative interview, if able. An interview guide has been developed for this purpose.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Grand Valley State University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

GVSU Skills on Wheels: A Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Skills Training Program

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2027
First posted
Apr 21, 2022
Registry last updated
Sep 15, 2025

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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