An interventional study of Manual Wheelchair Skills Training in Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy and Genetic Disease, sponsored by Grand Valley State University. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 5 Years to 17 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-09-15.
Sponsored by Grand Valley State University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Manual wheelchairs (MWCs) are widely used by children with physical disabilities, yet many of these children are unable to use their wheelchair independently. Instead, they depend on others to push them. This dependency results in limited opportunities to decide what they want to do and where they want to go, leading to learned helplessness, social isolation, decreased participation, and restricted involvement in physical activities. Furthermore, unsafe MWC use increases the risk of injury, as highlighted by the 44,300 children treated each year in emergency departments for MWC-related injuries. While independent MWC mobility can positively influence quality of life, MWC skills training must also be provided to promote safe, independent MWC use. The effectiveness of MWC training programs for adults is well established, yet the current standard-of-care does not include MWC skills training for children and research regarding the efficacy of pediatric MWC skills training programs is limited. Skills on Wheels seeks to address these gaps and provide pilot data for a future large-scale, multi-site research project involving a randomized controlled trial. Aim 1 is to explore the influence of Skills on Wheels on children's MWC skills and confidence in their MWC use. Aim 2 is to investigate the influence of Skills on Wheels on children's psychosocial skills, social participation, and adaptive behavior.
Manual wheelchairs (MWCs) are widely used by children with physical disabilities, yet many of these children are unable to use their wheelchair independently. Instead, they depend on others to push them. This dependency results in limited opportunities to decide what they want to do and where they want to go, leading to learned helplessness, social isolation, decreased participation, and restricted involvement in physical activities. Furthermore, unsafe MWC use increases the risk of injury, as highlighted by the 44,300 children treated each year in emergency departments for MWC-related injuries. While independent MWC mobility can positively influence quality of life, MWC skills training must also be provided to promote safe, independent MWC use. The effectiveness of MWC training programs for adults is well established, yet the current standard-of-care does not include MWC skills training for children and research regarding the efficacy of pediatric MWC skills training programs is limited. Skills on Wheels seeks to address these gaps and provide pilot data for a future large-scale, multi-site research project involving a randomized controlled trial. The final outcomes and significance of this project are as follows: Aim 1 is to explore the influence of Skills on Wheels on children's MWC skills and confidence in their MWC use and Aim 2 is to investigate the influence of Skills on Wheels on children's psychosocial skills, social participation, and adaptive behavior.
142 studies on the registry are indexed under Spinal Dysraphism; 39 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 4 is below the median of 30 across 91 interventional studies indexed under Spinal Dysraphism.
Browse Spinal Dysraphism studies →Grand Valley State University is the lead sponsor of 11 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.
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Other: Manual Wheelchair Skills Training
The intervention involves manual wheelchair skills training.
Change in manual wheelchair skills performance
This outcome will be assessed using the Wheelchair Skills Test (WST) and the Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) scales for performance. These complementary measures were designed to be used together and consist of a 0-3 rating scale for each of the 32 manual wheelchair skills included in these measures.
Time frame: Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention
Change in manual wheelchair skill performance
This outcome will be assessed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) to identify, prioritize,and rate caregiver perceptions of children's performance of manual wheelchair skills and will provide the basis for manual wheelchair skills training intervention. A total of 4-5 occupational performance issues in the area of manual wheelchair skills will be identified and scored on a 1-10 scale for both the caregiver's perception of the child's performance and their satisfaction with the child's performance. This completed with children \>8-years-old, if they are able.
Time frame: Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention
Change in manual wheelchair skill confidence
This outcome will be assessed using the WheelConPed. This measure consists of a 0-4 rating skill for each of the 33 manual wheelchair use scenarios included in the measure.
Time frame: Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention
Change in behavior
This outcome will be measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) caregiver questionnaire covering children's behaviors and emotions. The SDQ encompasses 5 subscales: Emotional, Conduct, Hyperactivity/inattention, Peer relationships, and Prosocial behavior. The self-report version will also be completed by children ages 11-17, if they are able.
Time frame: Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention
Change in adaptive skills
This outcome will be measured using the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, 3rd Edition (ABAS), a computer-based caregiver questionnaire to assess children's abilities in 11 adaptive skill areas within 3 domains (conceptual, social, and practical).
Time frame: Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention
Changes in perceptions regarding the manual wheelchair skills intervention
Caregivers' perceptions of the manual wheelchair skills intervention will be gathered via a recorded qualitative interview. An interview guide has been developed for this purpose. Children will also participate in a recorded qualitative interview, if able. An interview guide has been developed for this purpose.
Time frame: Baseline,pre-intervention and immediately after the conclusion of the 6 week intervention
Plan to share: Undecided — De-identified data may be shared upon request.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started May 2022 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Nov 2026, 54 months after the start.
Of 60 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Spinal Dysraphism, half reached primary completion within 31 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 20 and three quarters within 57. This study's planned 54 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 62 studies reached it within 31 months; a quarter within 20 and three quarters within 57.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Sep 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Grand Valley State University