NCT07432776RecruitingEarly phase 1
Effect of an 8-Week Pickleball Program for Adults With Autism: A Feasibility Trial With a Delayed-Control Design
Effects of an 8-Week Pickleball Intervention on Sensorimotor Function, Sleep, Depressive Symptoms, and Core Autism Features in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Feasibility Trial With a Delayed-Control Design
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 25 Feb 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an 8-week, community-based pickleball program can improve sensory-motor function and reduce the severity of core autism symptoms in adults ages 18-45 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who can participate independently without a caregiver. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does participating in the pickleball program improve sensory-motor function (including visual-motor integration and proprioceptive bias), measured using the HaptiKart task and a pickleball skill assessment? 2. Does participating in the pickleball program reduce core autism symptom severity, measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd edition (SRS-2)? Researchers will compare an early-start pickleball group to a delayed-start control group (who continues usual activities at first) to see if the pickleball program leads to greater improvements in sensory-motor outcomes and ASD symptom severity. Participants will: * Complete an in-person baseline visit at a local public library to provide written consent, complete surveys (SRS-2, PROMIS Depression and Sleep measures, and WHOQOL-BREF), and complete a video game-based sensory-motor assessment (HaptiKart). * Be randomly assigned to either start pickleball classes immediately or after an initial delay period. * Attend pickleball classes twice per week for 8 weeks (90 minutes per class; 16 sessions total), led by trained instructors at community indoor court facilities. * Continue their usual activities during periods when they are not assigned to pickleball classes. * Complete a brief pickleball skill assessment during the intervention period at their first and last class. * Complete follow-up assessments after each phase of the study to repeat surveys and sensory-motor testing. * Participants will also wear a small activity monitor (ActiGraph) during pickleball sessions to measure in-class physical activity levels, and complete brief online check-ins about safety/injury and program feedback during the intervention period.
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Phase (registry)
- Early phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 50 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 7 Feb 2026
- Start date
- 2 Feb 2026
- Primary completion date
- 15 Jun 2026
- Lead sponsor
- Penn State University
- Diseases
- Autism
- NCT number
- NCT07432776
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional · Early phase 1
- Planned participants: 50
- From 2 Feb 2026 to the primary completion date, 15 Jun 2026
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Other illness
- Neurologic conditions (cerebral palsy, severe head injury, progressive neurological disorders, epilepsy)
Lab values
- Individuals who require medical clearance for exercise based on the ACSM preparticipation screening questionnaire
Other
- Clinical diagnosis of intellectual disability (ID)
- Does not have normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- Actively participating in a racquet sport ≥1 time per week
- Use of mobility aids
- Moderate-to-severe joint pain (WOMAC pain subscale)
- Individuals who cannot provide their own informed consent (i.e., have a legally authorized representative)
Who the study is looking for
- Aged 18-45 years
- Clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Able to participate in group-based activities without caregiver support
- Able to understand English and independently communicate without assistance
- Available for at least two sessions per week for the intervention dates
- Access to reliable transportation to the intervention site
- Able to provide informed consent (i.e., no legally authorized representative)
- Pre-exercise screening indicates medical clearance is not needed, based on ACSM guidelines
Age in the registry: 18 years to 45 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Harrisburg Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Middletown | United States | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.