Can play and exercise boost motor and social skills in kids with autism?
NCT ID NCT07579000
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests two different exercise programs—SPARK (a structured sports and play program) and game-based circuit training—in 22 children with autism aged 5 to 12. Over 12 weeks, researchers will measure changes in motor skills and social interaction. The goal is to find out which type of physical activity works better for helping these children improve movement and social abilities.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- structured exercise program (SPARK) and game-based circuit training
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could show that structured play or game-based exercise helps children with autism improve their movement and social skills.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 22 children, so results may not apply to everyone. It compares two exercise programs, not a new drug or therapy.
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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About 22 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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5 to 12 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.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * ASD is diagnosed by Psychologist. * Age 5-12 years with ASD . * Participants having IQ greater than 70 by using Wechsler intelligence scale for children (WISC-4) Exclusion Criteria: * Visual or auditory impairment or any orthopedic condition. * Participants currently enrolled in intensive Physiotherapy (to avoid confounding effects). * Recent traumatic injury and surgery (≤6 months). * There was previous involvement with the SPARK program among the participants.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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IHC Hospital
RECRUITINGLahore, Punjab Province, 54000, Pakistan
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