Recruiting

WE PLAY for Parents

Sponsor:

Northeastern University

Code:

NCT07421830

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Wellness Enhancing Physical Activity for Young Children: Parent Version (WE PLAY for Parents)

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if WE PLAY for Parents can improve caregivers' knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and skills promoting physical activity with their young child with autism. The main questions it aims to answer are: (1) Do participants who complete WE PLAY for Parents improve their knowledge, behavior intentions, perceived behavior control, self-efficacy, and parenting practices related to physical activity promotion with their child (Primary Hypotheses); and (2) Do participants view WE PLAY for Parents as acceptable, understandable, and feasible \[secondary hypothesis)?

Researchers will compare the WE PLAY for Parents group \[experimental arm\] to a Waitlist Control group to see if there are differences in the variables listed in the primary hypothesis.

Participants will: (1) Complete a set of questionnaires at three timepoints: pre-training, post-training, and 3-month follow-up that each take between 10-15 minutes; (2) be randomly assigned to take the training over the next two weeks or be offered the training after 3 months.

The online training takes about 90 minutes. It includes watching informational videos, viewing video clips of adults helping children be active, reading handouts on behavior management tips and social stories, participating in an anonymous discussion board with other parents, and completing a self-assessment.

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Study ID

NCT07421830

Start date

Feb 20, 2026

Status verified date

Apr, 2026

Completion date

Dec 31, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 31, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Parents or caregivers (who are at least 18 years of age) of children with a diagnosis of autism.
  • The autism diagnosis for the child can be from a school or medical setting.
  • The parent or caregiver's child with autism must be between 2 years 11 months and 5 years, 11 months of age.
  • Parent or caregivers must be able to read and write in English.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Parents or caregivers who do not have a child with autism.
  • Adults who do not have children.
  • Parents or caregivers who cannot read and write in English.

Study Design

Enrollment

114 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Prevention

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: WE PLAY for Parents Group

Participants in the WE PLAY for Parents Group will be asked to complete the intervention in the first two weeks of the study period.

no intervention: Control Group

Participants in the Waitlist Control group will be given access to the WE PLAY for Parents training after their study data collection is complete. This group will not receive any intervention during the data collection period.

Interventions

Wellness Enhancing Physical Activity for Young Children: Parent Version (WE PLAY for Parents)

WE PLAY for Parents is an online intervention that includes an asynchronous online training with written material about physical activity promotion. Users view video clips of adults promoting active play with young children, review handouts with behavior management tips and social stories, participate in an anonymized discussion board with other parent participants, and complete a self-assessment. Intervention completion is takes between 1.5 to 2 hours.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change from Pre-Training in Parental Confidence in Promoting Physical Activity for their Children on the Preschool Parent Confidence Questionnaire (PPCQ) at Week 2 [ Time Frame: Pre-training (Week 0), Post-training (Week 2) ]
  • Change from Pre-Training in Parental Physical Activity Knowledge at Week 2 [ Time Frame: Pre-training (Week 0), Post-training (Week 2) ]
  • Change from Pre-Training in Parental Behavioral Intention and Perceived Behavioral Control on the Adapted Early Childhood Educator Movement Behavioral Intention and Perceived Control Questionnaire (ECE-MBIPC) at Week 2 [ Time Frame: Pre-training (Week 0), Post-training (Week 2) ]
  • Change from Pre-Training in Parental Physical Activity Promotion Practices on the Preschooler Physical Activity Parenting Practices (PPAPP) at Week 14 [ Time Frame: Pre-training (week 0), 3-month Follow-Up (week 14). ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Haley V Medeiros, M.S./CAGs

5086540724medeiros.ha@northeastern.edu

Locations

Northeastern University

Recruiting

Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115

Contacts

Haley V Medeiros, MS/CAGs

617-373-5257medeiros.ha@northeastern.edu

Jessica Hoffman, PhD, NCSP

j.hoffman@northeastern.edu

Principal Investigator:

Jessica Hoffman, PhD, NCSP

More Information

Sponsor

Northeastern University

Last update posted

Apr 8, 2026

Last verified

Apr, 2026

Keywords

  • parents
  • autism
  • physical activity
  • preschoolers
  • health promotion
  • active play
  • caregivers

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-08. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Northeastern University on 2026-04-08.