Asperger Syndrome, Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Behavioral, Physical Inactivity, Sedentary Behavior
Conditions
Keywords
behavior change, physical activity, exercise, autism, aspergers, feasibility, implementation mapping
Brief summary
ASDactive is a theory-based behaviour change intervention aimed at improving the physical activity behaviours of autistic youth. The feasibility of the intervention will be tested through interviews with participants and stakeholders. Proof of concept will be tested through preliminary measures of physical activity measured before and after the intervention.
Detailed description
ASDactive is has been developed with guidance from autistic people and stakeholders in autism. It is informed by motivation and behaviour change theory, specifically habit theory. The intervention aims to improve the habitual exercise behaviours of autistic youth by focusing on their strengths and interests. The feasibility study will run for 3-months, with a further 3-month follow-up period. Participants will attend motivational sessions in person where they will self-select physical activity habits to incorporate into their daily lives. They will be taught fundamental movement skills that they can use in their own leisure time. In-person sessions will be held once per fortnight with online sessions twice weekly. Participants will be encouraged to engage with as many sessions as possible, but part of the evaluation will assess uptake and engagement. Self-determination theory and habit theory will underpin all aspects of the intervention and autistic strong interests will be embedded in the materials used.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALASDactive
An integrated theory-based intervention to promote habitual physical activity behaviours in autistic youth
Sponsors
Aberystwyth University
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
10 Years to 24 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Young people aged 10-24-years diagnosed with Level 1 autism or Asperger's syndrome
Exclusion criteria
* Physical conditions or injuries that might hinder physical activity participation
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility of the intervention through its Adoption | 3- months | Number of people engaging with the sessions each week |
| Feasibility through Implementation | 3- months | Assessment of the fidelity of the delivery sessions. Two sessions will be recorded and reviewed by two assessors to ensure they are consistently delivered according to the protocol |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Report Habit Index | 3- and 6-months as a follow-up | A scale which measures a combination of subjective estimates (never to always) and recall of behavioural frequency (number of times per week). These are then multiplied by stability of context measured by subjective evaluations (e.g., always in the same place to never in the same place). When frequency and stability are multiplied on the scale, a habit strength between 0-36 is given. Lower scores indicate poor levels of habit strength, higher scores indicated good habit strength. |
| Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction Scale | 3 months | Measures of basic psychological needs (autonomy, relatedness, and competence) measured on a 7-point likert scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Lower scores indicate lower levels of perceived psychological needs being met and so worse outcomes. |
| International Physical Activity Questionnaire- Short form | 3- and -6 months as a follow-up | self-report physical activity levels through open-ended questions surrounding individuals' last 7-day recall of physical activity |
Countries
United Kingdom
Contacts
Primary ContactKatherine Parsons
Outcome results
None listed