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Effectiveness of Dance Therapy for Students With Mild Autism Spectrum Disorder in China
Sponsor: Universiti Putra Malaysia
Summary
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) in improving social play, emotional regulation, group skills, and communication skills among students with mild autism in China. The study will use a cluster randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest design. A total of 96 students aged 8-13 years will be recruited from special education schools in Linfen, Shanxi Province, China. Existing intact classes will serve as clusters and will be randomly assigned to either the DMT group or the Regular Art Class (RAC) control group. Both groups will participate in 12 weeks of intervention, conducted twice weekly, with each session lasting 45 minutes during regular art class time. Outcomes will be assessed before and after the intervention to evaluate and compare changes between the two groups.
Official title: Effectiveness of Dance Therapy for Social Play, Emotional Regulation, Group and Communication Skills of Students With Mild Autism in China: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
8 Years - 13 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
96
Start Date
2026-09-20
Completion Date
2027-01-20
Last Updated
2026-09-02
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Dance Movement Therapy (DMT)
The Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) intervention will be delivered over 12 weeks, with two 45-minute sessions per week. Each session will include a warm-up phase, a core activity phase, and a closing phase, with additional time used flexibly for transitions and emotional adjustment. The intervention will use structured and creative movement activities, including mirror exercises, rhythm synchronization, spatial exploration, improvisational movement, symbolic movement, role-playing, cooperative activities, and relaxation exercises. The intervention will progress through three phases. Weeks 1-4 will focus on bodily awareness and spatial perception; Weeks 5-8 will focus on emotional expression, emotional regulation, social interaction, and cooperation; and Weeks 9-12 will focus on confidence, creativity, complex emotional understanding, and integration of previously developed skills. Activities will be adjusted to participants' responses and individual needs.
Regular Art Class (RAC)
The Regular Art Class (RAC) intervention will be delivered over 12 weeks, with two 45-minute sessions per week, following the school's conventional art curriculum. The program will include one Music and Rhythmic Movement session and one Art and Craft session per week. Sessions will consist of structured, teacher-guided activities and will typically include warm-up activities, theme-based learning, creative practice, and summary sharing, with additional time reserved for transitions and students' emotional needs. Music and Rhythmic Movement sessions will include singing, rhythm practice, simple body movements, group games, and cooperative activities. Art and Craft sessions will primarily include handicraft and collage activities during the first eight weeks, followed by painting activities from Week 9 onward. The activities will focus on creative expression, basic artistic skills, classroom participation, rhythmic abilities, fine motor skills, imagination, observation, color expression
Locations (1)
Linfen Changxiang Children's Education Center
Linfen, Shanxi, China