Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Skills on Wheels
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Grand Valley State University
- Where
- Grand Rapids, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Status
- Active, not recruiting
- People taking part
- 4 people, planned
- Started
- 5 May 2022
- Expected to end
- 31 Dec 2027
- Type of study
- Interventional
- Treatments tested
- Manual Wheelchair Skills Training
- Record updated
- 15 September 2025
Who can take part
- Age
- 5 years to 17 years
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 8 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- 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
Who cannot take part
- 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)
Where in United States
- Grand Valley State UniversityGrand Rapids, United StatesNo longer taking part
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
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.
The group in the trial
- Manual wheelchair skills trainingTreatment being tested
Data and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- GVSU Skills on Wheels: A Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Skills Training Program
- Record updated
- 15 September 2025