Canine-Assisted Therapies in Autism: A Systematic Review of Published Studies Relevant to Recreational Therapy

Hallyburton, Ann; Hinton, Jennifer

doi:10.18666/trj-2017-v51-i2-7969

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…As a comparison group, it could include children from the same study population, but who are on the waiting list to receive AAI. In addition, although our research substantially exceeded the average sample size of the previous literature (Hallyburton & Hinton, ; O'Haire, , ), large‐scale experimental designs should be used, with a larger sample from different therapeutic units in the country, to favour the generalisability of the results and provide a stronger evidence basis for the effectiveness of this intervention.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Although the results were predominantly positive, in relation to social interaction, communication skills, the expression of positive emotions and the degree of stress, the author drew attention to the limitations of the studies, in the samples and at a methodological level, seeing AAI as a ‘potentially enriching’ therapy and complementary in nature for individuals with ASD. Similarly, in the systematic review by Hallyburton and Hinton (), the small sample size of the studies included limited the applicability of the identified findings. It only located two studies on the effects of therapy dogs on the population with ASD; the mean age of the participants was 10.2 years and the mean sample size was 12 participants (Hallyburton & Hinton, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, in the systematic review by Hallyburton and Hinton (), the small sample size of the studies included limited the applicability of the identified findings. It only located two studies on the effects of therapy dogs on the population with ASD; the mean age of the participants was 10.2 years and the mean sample size was 12 participants (Hallyburton & Hinton, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Improving social participation of children with autism spectrum disorder: Pilot testing of an early animal‐assisted intervention in Spain

Ávila-Álvarez

Alonso-Bidegain

De-Rosende-Celeiro

et al. 2020

Health Soc Care Community

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Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience moderate to profound challenges in relation to the skills required for social participation. Animal-assisted intervention (AAI) is increasingly used within early community care. However, the results of its early application in this population group are not known. This pilot study aimed to explore the feasibility of an early intervention based on the use of therapy dogs and to examine their impact on communication and social interaction skills. A within-subject quasi-experimental longitudinal design was used. The instruments for measuring results were the Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills (ACIS)and Animal-assisted Therapy Flow Sheet, both based on observation. A total of 19 children with confirmed or probable ASD (with mean age of 46.2 months), cared for in a Spanish therapeutic unit, participated in a median of nine AAI sessions, with a mean duration of 19.9 min per session. The total ACIS score increased significantly between the initial and final assessments of the study, with communication and social interaction skills improving with a large effect size. In the Animal-assisted Therapy Flow Sheet instrument, statistically significant improvements were found in most of the items that evaluate the frequency of child-dog social relationships (look at the dog, touch it, talk to it and get involved in an activity with the animal) and child-therapist relationships (look at the therapist and talk to him/her); the effect sizes ranged from medium to large. In conclusion, the early application of an AAI is feasible and seems to improve communication and social interaction skills, both essential elements for social participation. The results suggest that this intervention may be a beneficial non-pharmacological therapy as a complementary approach within community care for children with ASD in the early years of their life. K E Y W O R D S Animal assisted Therapy, autism spectrum disorder, communication, early intervention, interpersonal relations | 1221 ÁVILA-ÁLVAREZ Et AL. S U PP O RTI N G I N FO R M ATI O N Additional supporting information may be found online in the Supporting Information section. How to cite this article: Ávila-Álvarez A, Alonso-Bidegain M, De-Rosende-Celeiro I, Vizcaíno-Cela M, Larrañeta-Alcalde L, Torres-Tobío G. Improving social participation of children with autism spectrum disorder: Pilot testing of an early animalassisted intervention in Spain. Health Soc Care Community.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Improving social participation of children with autism spectrum disorder: Pilot testing of an early animal‐assisted intervention in Spain

Ávila-Álvarez

Alonso-Bidegain

De-Rosende-Celeiro

et al. 2020

Health Soc Care Community

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“…His documentation of his experiences in the book “Pet-Oriented Psychotherapy” later led to him being called the father of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]. Since then, dogs have visited patients in hospitals [ 7 , 8 ] residents in nursing homes [ 9 ], and students in schools [ 10 ], and their popularity has expanded from mental health to include professional teams in physical [ 11 ], occupational [ 12 , 13 , 14 ], speech [ 15 ], recreational therapy [ 16 ] and other related disciplines [ 17 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dog Welfare, Well-Being and Behavior: Considerations for Selection, Evaluation and Suitability for Animal-Assisted Therapy

Winkle

Johnson

Mills

2020

Animals

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Health care and human service providers may include dogs in formal intervention settings to positively impact human physical, cognitive and psychosocial domains. Dogs working within this context are asked to cope with a multitude of variables including settings, populations, activities, and schedules. In this article, the authors highlight how both the preparation and operation of dogs within animal-assisted therapy (AAT) differs from less structured animal-assisted activities (AAA) and more exclusive assistance animal work; the authors highlight the gaps in our knowledge in this regard, and propose an ethically sound framework for pragmatic solutions. This framework also emphasizes the need for good dog welfare to safeguard all participants. If dogs are not properly matched to a job or handler, they may be subjected to unnecessary stress, anxiety, and miscommunication that can lead to disinterest in the work, overt problematic behavioral or health outcomes, or general unsuitability. Such issues can have catastrophic outcomes for the AAT. The authors propose standards for best practices for selection, humane-based preparation and training, and ongoing evaluation to ensure the health, welfare and well-being of dogs working in AAT, which will have concomitant benefits for clients and the professionalism of the field.

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“…Studies specifically related to AAI in therapeutic and educational settings with child and youth populations with disabilities, such as ASD and emotional disorders, primarily report positive or mixed outcomes. Unfortunately, researchers who have analyzed study quality report significant methodological weaknesses (e.g., lack of experimental control), reliance on indirect measurements and potentially biased informants, insufficient sample descriptions, reduced intervention replicability, and limited treatment fidelity measures across the spectrum of AAI (i.e., informal animal-assisted activities to highly structured animal-assisted therapies; Brelsford et al, 2017;Davis et al, 2015;Hallyburton & Hinton, 2017;Hill et al, 2018;Maber-Aleksandrowicz et al, 2016;O'Haire, 2013O'Haire, , 2017. Leaders in the field of AAI have acknowledged that there have been exaggerations of positive effects, an overlooking of negative or neutral findings, and misrepresentations of methodological strength (Fine et al, 2019).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal-assisted Interventions as an Adjunct to ABA Services: Clinician Practices and Perceptions

Ghai

Lehr

Harayama

et al. 2021

Behav Analysis Practice

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Although the popularity of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) continues to increase, an examination of these practices among clinician populations that may incorporate AAI in their clinical services are largely absent from the literature. This study examined the practices and desirability of incorporating animals into ABA services. A total of 544 ABA clinicians completed a web-based survey. Data revealed respondents not only considered incorporating animals into ABA services (n = 307), but almost 20% (n = 107) also reported engaging in this practice. Dogs were reported as the most frequently incorporated animals and an examination of animal sources and prior training revealed substantial variability. Animal incorporation practices were viewed as desirable, feasible, and a majority of respondents reported being interested in AAI implementation. Implications of these results beget a discussion about potential adverse consequences to clients and clinicians that participate in these practices. This discussion includes physical safety risks, financial threats, and potential Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) code violations. Animal welfare concerns, which are often omitted from discussions about AAI, are also discussed to inform clinicians of the added responsibilities that need to be considered. In total, survey results and the accompanying discussion should urge ABA clinicians to pause when considering the incorporation of animals into their clinical practices. No published articles could be found that examine the use of animal incorporation practices within the area of clinical ABA services. Personal and professional risks and animal welfare concerns associated with the utilization of these practices, as identified in this study, should inform programmatic decision-making by clinical practitioners and supervisors interested in engaging in these practices. Results of this survey highlight the potential need for modifications to professional standards and ethical codes of the BACB and state licensing authorities. As this is a novel area of investigation, this article illustrates the need for further empirical evaluation of animal-assisted interventions as an adjunct to ABA services.Keywords applied behavior analysis . board certified behavioranalyst . clinician behaviors . ethics . survey methodology . therapy animals * Jessica L Ghai

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Canine-Assisted Therapies in Autism: A Systematic Review of Published Studies Relevant to Recreational Therapy

Cited by 11 publications

References 0 publications

Improving social participation of children with autism spectrum disorder: Pilot testing of an early animal‐assisted intervention in Spain

Improving social participation of children with autism spectrum disorder: Pilot testing of an early animal‐assisted intervention in Spain

Dog Welfare, Well-Being and Behavior: Considerations for Selection, Evaluation and Suitability for Animal-Assisted Therapy

Animal-assisted Interventions as an Adjunct to ABA Services: Clinician Practices and Perceptions

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