The Effect of CrossFit Kids on Social Skills in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (CrossFit KAMP)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 59 U.S. children have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Peer relationships, social skills, and repetitive behaviors are a challenge for those with ASD. Exercise in the ASD population has been examined as a means to improve some of these challenges for children with ASD. This research study will try to see if a structured exercise program called CrossFit Kids can help with these challenges. This study is potentially beneficial in developing an exercise program for children with ASD that can help promote social skill development, reduce stereotypical behaviors, and provide overall health benefits.

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Key information

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Mental Disorders Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Age range

8 year–11 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

UC Davis MIND Institute

Sacramento, California, 95817, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

Clinical Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Full Scale IQ >80 on standardized testing
English speaking
Parents must be able to bring children to class twice a week for 14 weeks.

Exclusion criteria

Non-English speaking
Medical condition or physical impairment precluding them from safely participating in classes (eg. spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, critical congenital heart disease, uncontrolled asthma, uncontrolled seizure disorder, etc.)

Treatment and study plan

CrossFit Kids exercise program

Behavioral

Participants will be actively participating in a 14 week twice weekly CrossFit Kids exercise program.

Primary outcomes

Improvement in social skills in children with ASD

Time frame: 40 weeks

The Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd edition is a parent questionnaire that describes difficulties in socialization, communication, and repetitive/restricted interests. The SRS includes parent and teacher evaluations and provides quantitative subscales that can distinguish the presence of ASD from other child psychiatric conditions. Scale will be administered pre CrossFit Kids intervention, after the 14 weeks of CrossFit Kids and then 8 weeks after the intervention of CrossFit Kids. Total T-score ranges 59 and below=within normal limits; 60-65 =mild range, 66-75 =moderate range, 76 or higher = severe range. Lower T-score means participant is less affected.
Improvement in behavioral symptoms in children with ASD

Time frame: 40 weeks

The Behavioral Symptoms Index on the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, 3rd edition (BASC-3). Parent report is a parent rating scale that will be used as a general behavioral screen for comorbidities (hyperactivity, other externalizing behaviors, depression, etc.). Scale will be administered pre CrossFit Kids intervention, after the 14 weeks of CrossFit Kids and then 8 weeks after the intervention of CrossFit Kids. T scores are as follows 60 or less= within normal limits, 60-70 =at risk, 70 or higher= clinically significant. Lower T-score means less behavioral symptoms.
Improvement in repetitive behaviors in children with ASD

Time frame: 40 weeks

The Repetitive Behavior Scale Revised (RBS-R) is a parent questionnaire that measures six subscales of repetitive behavior including: Stereotyped Behavior, Self-injurious Behavior, Compulsive Behavior, Routine Behavior, Sameness Behavior, and Restricted Behavior in those with ASD. Scale will be administered pre CrossFit Kids intervention, after the 14 weeks of CrossFit Kids and then 8 weeks after the intervention of CrossFit Kids. Higher total scores on repetitive behavior scale are associated with higher amounts of repetitive behaviors.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of California, Davis

Other

Registry information

Acronym: CrossFit KAMP

Important dates

Study start: 2018
Primary completion: 2019
Study completion: 2019
First posted: Oct 2, 2018
Registry last updated: Oct 31, 2019

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.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed