Wellness Effects of Animal-assisted Activities With Autism Spectrum Disorder Youth in a Specialized Psychiatric Hospital

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

75 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2015-08-06

Study Completion Date

2019-03-13

Brief Summary

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Background: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are at higher risk for developing co-existing mental health conditions and consequently experiencing psychiatric hospitalization, compared to the general pediatric population. However, hospital environments can be exceptionally stressful for this population, given their social-communication deficits, ineffective emotional regulation skills and heightened physiological arousal. While the use of animal-assisted activities (AAA) show potential for various improvements in children with ASD in community settings, these "stress-reducing" and "social-buffering" benefits have not yet been studied within a psychiatric hospital setting for youth with ASD.

Objectives: Evaluate whether an AAA with canines can lead to reduced physiological arousal and improvements in social-communication as well as aberrant behaviors in children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD in a specialized psychiatric hospital setting.

Methods: Participants were recruited from the Neuropsychiatric Special Care (NSC) program's inpatient and/or partial day-treatment program. Prior to study participation, baseline demographic measures were acquired from caregivers and participants' ASD diagnosis was confirmed. Participants experienced two, randomly assigned 35-minute sessions (AAA and Control Condition) with a minimum two-day washout period between groups. Each session included a baseline 20-minute social skills group immediately followed by a 10 minute experimental or control condition. The AAA condition introduced a canine and volunteer handler for free interaction time while the control condition introduced a novel toy and a volunteer for free interaction. Participants' physiological arousal was continuously assessed throughout all conditions via the Empatica E-4 wristbands (Empatica Inc. 2014). All sessions were videotaped for behavioral coding using the Observation of Human Animal Interaction for Research - Modified, v.1.

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Detailed Description

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Background: Children with ASD are at higher risk for developing co-existing mental health conditions and consequently experiencing psychiatric hospitalization, compared to the general pediatric population. However, hospital environments can be exceptionally stressful for this population, given their social-communication deficits, ineffective emotional regulation skills and heightened physiological arousal. While the use of animal-assisted activities (AAA) show potential for various improvements in children with ASD in community settings, these "stress-reducing" and "social-buffering" benefits have not yet been studied within a psychiatric hospital setting for youth with ASD.

Objectives: Evaluate whether an AAA with canines can lead to reduced physiological arousal and improvements in social-communication as well as aberrant behaviors in children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD in a specialized psychiatric hospital setting.

Methods: Participants were recruited from the Neuropsychiatric Special Care (NSC) program's inpatient and/or partial day-treatment program. Prior to study participation, baseline demographic measures were acquired from caregivers and participants' ASD diagnosis was confirmed. Participants experienced two, randomly assigned 35-minute sessions (AAA and Control Condition) with a minimum two-day washout period between groups. Each session included a baseline 20-minute social skills group immediately followed by a 10 minute experimental or control condition. The AAA condition introduced a canine and volunteer handler for free interaction time while the control condition introduced a novel toy and a volunteer for free interaction. Participants' physiological arousal was continuously assessed throughout all conditions via the Empatica E-4 wristbands (Empatica Inc. 2014). All sessions were videotaped for behavioral coding using the Observation of Human Animal Interaction for Research - Modified, v.1.

Conditions

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Child Behavior Autism Spectrum Disorder Psychiatric Hospitalization Veterinary Therapeutics

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

To investigate the effect of canine animal assisted activities (AAA) on physiological arousal levels in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (ages 4 to 17 years) in a specialized psychiatric hospital program. It is hypothesized that children with ASD will demonstrate lower physiological arousal in the presence of canines, compared to a non-animal control.

Primary Study Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Coders for the videotaped behavioral data collected via the OHAIRE-M tool were blind to specific study objective.

Study Groups

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Canine & Adult Handler Activity

Unstructured 10-minute small group interaction with canine \& handler

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Activity

Intervention Type OTHER

10 minutes interaction with therapy dog and adult handler in small group (2-4 participants).

Toy and Adult Handler Activity

Unstructured 10-minute small group interaction with toy \& handler

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Activity

Intervention Type OTHER

10 minutes interaction with therapy dog and adult handler in small group (2-4 participants).

Interventions

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Activity

10 minutes interaction with therapy dog and adult handler in small group (2-4 participants).

Intervention Type OTHER

Other Intervention Names

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animal-assisted activity (AAA)

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Admitted to a specialized psychiatric unit for children with developmental disabilities
* Meeting standard cut-off scores for ASD on the Social Communication Questionnaire Screener (\> 12) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2nd Ed
* English speaking

Exclusion Criteria

* Unwillingness to wear wristband \& be videotaped
* Allergies or phobias to canines
* Inability to attend to and participate in a social group
* Prisoner status or ward of the state

Minimum Eligible Age

4 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

16 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes