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Effect of an 8-Week Pickleball Program for Adults With Autism: A Feasibility Trial With a Delayed-Control Design

Effects of an 8-Week Pickleball Intervention on Sensorimotor Function, Sleep, Depressive Symptoms, and Core Autism Features in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Feasibility Trial With a Delayed-Control Design

Who can join

Ages 18 to 45 · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

* Aged 18-45 years
* Clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
* Able to participate in group-based activities without caregiver support
* Able to understand English and independently communicate without assistance
* Available for at least two sessions per week for the intervention dates
* Access to reliable transportation to the intervention site
* Able to provide informed consent (i.e., no legally authorized representative)
* Pre-exercise screening indicates medical clearance is not needed, based on ACSM guidelines

Exclusion Criteria:

* Clinical diagnosis of intellectual disability (ID)
* Does not have normal or corrected-to-normal vision
* Actively participating in a racquet sport ≥1 time per week
* Use of mobility aids
* Moderate-to-severe joint pain (WOMAC pain subscale)
* Neurologic conditions (cerebral palsy, severe head injury, progressive neurological disorders, epilepsy)
* Individuals who cannot provide their own informed consent (i.e., have a legally authorized representative)
* Individuals who require medical clearance for exercise based on the ACSM preparticipation screening questionnaire

About the study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an 8-week, community-based pickleball program can improve sensory-motor function and reduce the severity of core autism symptoms in adults ages 18-45 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who can participate independently without a caregiver.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Does participating in the pickleball program improve sensory-motor function (including visual-motor integration and proprioceptive bias), measured using the HaptiKart task and a pickleball skill assessment? 2. Does participating in the pickleball program reduce core autism symptom severity, measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd edition (SRS-2)?

Researchers will compare an early-start pickleball group to a delayed-start control group (who continues usual activities at first) to see if the pickleball program leads to greater improvements in sensory-motor outcomes and ASD symptom severity.

Participants will:

* Complete an in-person baseline visit at a local public library to provide written consent, complete surveys (SRS-2, PROMIS Depression and Sleep measures, and WHOQOL-BREF), and complete a video game-based sensory-motor assessment (HaptiKart). * Be randomly assigned to either start pickleball classes immediately or after an initial delay period. * Attend pickleball classes twice per week for 8 weeks (90 minutes per class; 16 sessions total), led by trained instructors at community indoor court facilities. * Continue their usual activities during periods when they are not assigned to pickleball classes. * Complete a brief pickleball skill assessment during the intervention period at their first and last class. * Complete follow-up assessments after each phase of the study to repeat surveys and sensory-motor testing. * Participants will also wear a small activity monitor (ActiGraph) during pickleball sessions to measure in-class physical activity levels, and complete brief online check-ins about safety/injury and program feedback during the intervention period.

What is being tested

• Pickleball Program (Community-Based) (behavioral)

Sponsor: Penn State University · Participants: 50 · Started: Feb 2, 2026

Contact the study team

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT07432776

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Autism

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.