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Dance therapy for school students with mild autism in China

Tests dance movement therapy against regular art class in students with mild autism.

Key facts

Who runs it
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Where
Linfen, ChinaSee the site
Trial code
Registry title
Effectiveness of Dance Therapy for Students With Mild Autism Spectrum Disorder in China
Status
Not yet recruiting
People taking part
96 people, planned
Started
20 Sept 2026
Expected to end
20 Jan 2027
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • Dance Movement Therapy (DMT)
  • Regular Art Class (RAC)
Record updated
2 September 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for students aged 8 to 13 years with mild autism spectrum disorder. It tests whether dance movement therapy helps social play, emotions, group skills and communication.

Age
8 to 13 years
Sex
All sexes can join
Disease stage
Mild autism spectrum disorder (ASD), diagnosed before and written in school or medical records
Earlier treatment
Must have had no earlier dance therapy

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Serious physical health problems that may affect taking part
  • Earlier experience with dance therapy
  • No written consent from a parent or legal guardian

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 8 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Aged between 8 and 13 years
  • Have a pre-existing clinical diagnosis of mild Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as documented in school or medical records
  • Have no other serious physical health issues, such as severe chronic diseases, major surgical history, or health problems that affect quality of life
  • Have no prior experience with dance therapy
  • Written informed consent is provided by the participant's parent or legal guardian

Who cannot take part

  • Children with prior experience in dance therapy
  • Children with serious physical health conditions that may affect their ability to participate in the study
  • Children whose parent or legal guardian does not provide written informed consent

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 8 and 13 years old?

Where in China

  • Linfen Changxiang Children's Education CenterLinfen, ChinaContact: Yuanfang LiNo longer taking part

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) in improving social play, emotional regulation, group skills, and communication skills among students with mild autism in China. The study will use a cluster randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest design. A total of 96 students aged 8-13 years will be recruited from special education schools in Linfen, Shanxi Province, China. Existing intact classes will serve as clusters and will be randomly assigned to either the DMT group or the Regular Art Class (RAC) control group. Both groups will participate in 12 weeks of intervention, conducted twice weekly, with each session lasting 45 minutes during regular art class time. Outcomes will be assessed before and after the intervention to evaluate and compare changes between the two groups.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) GroupTreatment being tested

    Participants in this group will receive a 12-week Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) intervention, conducted twice weekly, with each session lasting 45 minutes during regular art class time.

    Treatment: Dance Movement Therapy (DMT)

  • Regular Art Class (RAC) GroupExisting treatment, for comparison

    Participants in this group will participate in Regular Art Class (RAC) activities for 12 weeks, conducted twice weekly, with each session lasting 45 minutes during regular art class time.

    Treatment: Regular Art Class (RAC)

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Effectiveness of Dance Therapy for Social Play, Emotional Regulation, Group and Communication Skills of Students With Mild Autism in China: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Plain-language title
Dance therapy for school students with mild autism in ChinaGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 13 November 2026.
Fit questions
Built from NCT07800026, who can take part
Record updated
2 September 2026