Swimming or stretching? study tests best exercise for kids with autism
NCT ID NCT05123066
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at whether aquatic (water) training or land exercises better improve motor function in children with autism. Forty children aged 3 to 5 with mild to moderate autism took part. Researchers measured changes in motor skills, autism severity, and quality of life after the exercise programs.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Aquatic exercises and land exercises
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that aquatic training is a better way to improve motor skills and quality of life in young children with autism.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with only 40 participants, so results may not apply to all children with autism. The exercises are not a treatment for autism itself.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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40 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2023
- Finished
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Oct 2023
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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3 to 5 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ranges from 3 to 5 years. * Mild to moderate autistic features according to GARS (scores from 60 to 110). Exclusion Criteria: * Significant visual or auditory defects. * History of cerebral palsy or psychiatric disorder (e.g attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). * Open wound. * Dermatological diseases
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Eman S Albadry
Giza, Giza Governorate, 12662, Egypt
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