The Roles of Animals for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Grandin, Temple; Fine, Aubrey H.; O’Haire, Marguerite E.; Carlisle, Gretchen K.; Bowers, Christine M.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-801292-5.00016-x

Cited by 25 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Within therapy, a sense of relatedness can provide children with the confidence to take risks and try new things within the learning process (Junkers & Kennedy‐Behr, 2017; Poulsen, Rodger, & Ziviani, 2006; Ziviani, 2015). Although individuals on the autism spectrum are known to experience difficulty developing and maintaining relationships with human social partners, there is increasing evidence to suggest that they are able to develop a secure relationship with animals (Grandin et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the context of attending to the psychological need of relatedness, it has been suggested that individuals on the autism spectrum can experience this more readily when interacting with animals compared to humans (Grandin et al, 2015). Possibly for this reason animal‐assisted therapy (AAT) has been posited as a modality that may enhance the delivery of therapy services for children on the autism spectrum such as occupational therapy (Grandin et al, 2015; Hill, Ziviani, Cawdell‐Smith, & Driscoll, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Canine‐assisted occupational therapy for children on the autism spectrum: Parents’ perspectives

Hill

Ziviani

Driscoll

2020

Aus Occup Therapy J

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Canine‐assisted occupational therapy for children on the autism spectrum: Parents’ perspectives

Hill

Ziviani

Driscoll

2020

Aus Occup Therapy J

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“…Its provision spans a wide spectrum of populations, from typically-developing children to adults with psychiatric disorders (Barker & Wolen, 2008; O’Haire, 2010). As the clinical practice of AAI for autism increases in prevalence, there is a critical need for scientific evaluation and, if potentially efficacious, the development of evidence-based best practices (Grandin et al, 2015; Palley, O’Rourke, & Niemi, 2010).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Research on animal-assisted intervention and autism spectrum disorder, 2012–2015

O’Haire

2017

Applied Developmental Science

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111

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Including animals in autism intervention is growing in both research and practice. A systematic literature review was conducted to collate and synthesize all empirical research on animal-assisted intervention (AAI) for autism published from 2012 to 2015. Findings from 28 included studies revealed that AAI programs generally include one animal per participant with a total contact time of approximately 10 hours over the course of 8 to 12 weeks. Research methodology is diverse and though limited in many cases, has improved over the last few years. The most commonly reported outcome was increased social interaction, which was unanimously significant across 22 studies. The need for further research is highlighted, calling for a focus on refining AAI techniques, identifying optimal circumstances for positive change as well as individuals who may not benefit, and independent replication of high quality studies to move AAI from an enrichment activity to an evidence-based practice for autism.

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“…A therapist's ability to form a therapeutic relationship and facilitate a sense of relatedness with their clients has been posited as a high predictor for the success of therapy (King, 2016; Ziviani, 2015). It has been suggested that children on the autism spectrum may be able to more readily form relationships with animals compared to people (Grandin, Fine, O'Haire, Carlisle, & Bowers, 2015). Within this study, therapists described the psychological need of “relatedness” in the way a connection was formed between the child and the therapy dog which appeared to act as a bridge to accelerate the rapport built between the child and the therapist.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been suggested that individuals on the autism spectrum are able to more readily engage with animals than with other humans (Grandin et al, 2015). As a result, in recent years, animal‐assisted therapy has gained attention as a possible means of increasing the motivation of children on the autism spectrum to engage within therapy (Hill, Ziviani, Driscoll, & Cawdell‐Smith, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“The connection just happens”: Therapists’ perspectives of canine‐assisted occupational therapy for children on the autism spectrum

Hill

Ziviani

Driscoll

2020

Aus Occup Therapy J

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Introduction: The inclusion of a therapy dog has been suggested as a means of facilitating therapy engagement for children on the autism spectrum within occupational therapy sessions. The aim of this study was to seek an understanding of possible benefits and challenges of this practice from the perspectives of occupational therapists, trained in canine-assisted therapy. Method: This study adopted an interpretive descriptive design. Six therapists participated in a semi-structured, telephone interview to describe their experience of working as canine-assisted occupational therapists with children on the autism spectrum. An inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Two overarching themes emerged. The first captured how therapists incorporated their therapy dog into sessions to accelerate children's initial motivation to engage within the therapy process. Specifically, therapists discussed how involving their therapy dog facilitated the development of a secure relationship, supported autonomous task involvement and increased children's sense of confidence. Second, they identified challenges inherent in their practice, such as the therapist's ability to maintain a goal-directed focus when including a therapy dog. Beyond the challenges within their own practice sessions, therapists reflected on issues thought to impact the occupational therapy profession since starting practice as a canine-assisted occupational therapist. Conclusion: Findings from this study contribute to the current understanding of how occupational therapists incorporate therapy dogs into their practice with children on the autism spectrum. The specific challenges noted by the therapists highlighted the importance of canine-assisted occupational therapy being viewed as an advanced scope of practice within Australia and, therefore, the need for training and practice guidelines to be established. K E Y W O R D S autism spectrum disorder, canine-assisted therapy, children, occupational therapy, therapist perspective | 551 HILL et aL. How to cite this article: Hill JR, Ziviani J, Driscoll C. "The connection just happens": Therapists' perspectives of canine-assisted occupational therapy for children on the autism spectrum.

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The Roles of Animals for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Cited by 25 publications

References 34 publications

Canine‐assisted occupational therapy for children on the autism spectrum: Parents’ perspectives

Canine‐assisted occupational therapy for children on the autism spectrum: Parents’ perspectives

Research on animal-assisted intervention and autism spectrum disorder, 2012–2015

“The connection just happens”: Therapists’ perspectives of canine‐assisted occupational therapy for children on the autism spectrum

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