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Lisk C, Mische Lawson L, Sugiura B, Humpherys D, Rao G. Exploring Play Interactions of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their Pets. OTJR-OCCUPATION PARTICIPATION AND HEALTH 2024; 44:179-186. [PMID: 37485604 DOI: 10.1177/15394492231188311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this secondary qualitative analysis was to explore the play interactions of children with autism (n = 10) and their pets in the home environment. Researchers coded 115 minutes of video of children playing with their pets at home and transcripts from eight caregiver interviews. Thematic analysis revealed six codes which represented three themes, including children with ASD play with pets in a variety of ways, playing with pets supports child development, and playing with pets yields benefits for children with ASD. Findings suggest playing with pets may be beneficial for developing responsibility and social skills of children with ASD, particularly in how they interact with animals. Future research should examine perspectives of families who do not own or who have relinquished pets and perspectives of adults with ASD to better understand positive and negative aspects of pet play.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Gabbi Rao
- University of Kansas Medical Center, USA
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Kilmer M, Hong M, Randolph D, Reichel A, Huetter S, Bowden M, Kilmer C. Animal-assisted therapy in pediatric autism spectrum disorder: A case report. Nurse Pract 2024; 49:31-39. [PMID: 38386471 DOI: 10.1097/01.npr.0000000000000151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The use of therapy or service dogs to assist children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing in clinical settings. Research studies indicate that children with ASD display enhanced prosocial behavior and emotional regulation when canines are included in therapy. Despite increased application of animal-assisted therapy in clinical and inpatient settings, healthcare providers show limited understanding of best practices for its use and require a research-based approach to incorporate animals effectively into therapeutic plans of care for pediatric patients with ASD.
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Nieforth LO, Guerin NA, Stehli A, Schuck SEB, Yi K, O’Haire ME. Observation of human-animal interaction for research (OHAIRE) behavior coding in a randomized control trial of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a canine-assisted intervention. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1327380. [PMID: 38476612 PMCID: PMC10929010 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1327380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Diagnosed in about 10% of children in the United States, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by symptoms including inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Traditional interventions, such as pharmacological and psychological interventions, are often used in conjunction with integrative health options, such as animal-assisted interventions. The objective of this manuscript is to report behavior coding findings from a randomized control trial of children with ADHD. Methods As part of a larger randomized control trial focused on the efficacy of combining a canine-assisted intervention (live therapy dog or control stuffed dog) with cognitive behavioral therapy for children with ADHD, the current manuscript focuses on video-captured behavior observations (n = 35 children, approximately 322 minutes of data). Data were extracted and coded using the Observation of Human-Animal Interaction Research (OHAIRE) Coding System. Behavior codes are reported as summary scores for the following domains: animal social interaction and human social interaction (further separated into human-adult social interaction and human-peer social interaction). Repeated measures mixed models analyses were performed using SAS PROC GLIMMIX to evaluate group differences and change across the study period. Results There were no significant differences in how much children interacted with the live therapy dogs versus control stuffed dogs. With respect to human-to-human social interactions, children showed greater increases over time in human-directed social interactions in the presence of live therapy dogs compared to stuffed dogs (p = .020). Over the course of the 12-week intervention, children increased in interactions with both adults (p = .006) and their peers (p = .014); however, there were more increases over time in adult-directed social interactions in the live animal condition compared to the control stuffed animal condition (p < 0.0001). Discussion & conclusions Findings suggest changes in social interaction when participating in this canine-assisted intervention, specifically greater increases in human-to-human social interactions over time when a live therapy dog is present compared to a control stuffed dog. Children appear to engage relatively equally with both live and stuffed dogs; however, the impact of animals on human socialization differs based on if a live animal is present. Future studies should consider incorporating behavior coding analysis into studies of canine-assisted interventions to identify how human-animal interactions may be moderators or mechanisms for psychosocial outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne O. Nieforth
- Center for the Human-Animal Bond, College of Veterinary Medicine, Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | | | - Annamarie Stehli
- School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | | | - Katherine Yi
- Center for the Human-Animal Bond, College of Veterinary Medicine, Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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De Santis M, Filugelli L, Mair A, Normando S, Mutinelli F, Contalbrigo L. How to Measure Human-Dog Interaction in Dog Assisted Interventions? A Scoping Review. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:410. [PMID: 38338052 PMCID: PMC10854530 DOI: 10.3390/ani14030410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Human-dog interaction is the working tool through which the therapeutic, educational and recreational goals of dog-assisted interventions (DAIs) are achieved. A better understanding of the characteristics of this interaction could improve the effectiveness of DAIs. This scoping review addresses the question: how has the human-dog connection been measured in the context of DAIs? After searching the Web of Science and Scopus platforms, only peer-reviewed, primary research studies reporting measures of therapy dog-human interaction, relationship and bond were included. A total of 70 included articles provided information on what was measured (interaction, relationship or bond) and how, as well as the general context (DAIs or experimental situations with therapy dogs). While the majority of the articles identified use behavioural analysis methods to analyse the interaction between the participant/recipient and the therapy dog during DAIs, it was possible to identify some more structured tools that assess the participant/recipient's interaction, relationship or bond with the therapy dog, as well as tools that consider the animal's perspective or focus on the dog-handler dyad, indicating growing areas of research. The tools and methods identified can be used by both practitioners and researchers to further explore aspects of human-dog interaction in the field of DAIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta De Santis
- National Reference Centre for Animal Assisted Interventions, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (M.D.S.); (L.F.); (F.M.); (L.C.)
| | - Lorena Filugelli
- National Reference Centre for Animal Assisted Interventions, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (M.D.S.); (L.F.); (F.M.); (L.C.)
| | - Alberto Mair
- National Reference Centre for Animal Assisted Interventions, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (M.D.S.); (L.F.); (F.M.); (L.C.)
| | - Simona Normando
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’Università, 14, 35020 Legnaro, Italy;
| | - Franco Mutinelli
- National Reference Centre for Animal Assisted Interventions, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (M.D.S.); (L.F.); (F.M.); (L.C.)
| | - Laura Contalbrigo
- National Reference Centre for Animal Assisted Interventions, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (M.D.S.); (L.F.); (F.M.); (L.C.)
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Madigand J, Rio M, Vandevelde A. Equine assisted services impact on social skills in autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 125:110765. [PMID: 37031948 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Many studies focus on the impact of equine assisted services (EAS) on social skills in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but existing data are not consensual and the only available meta-analysis included only three studies and did not consider the social responsiveness scale (SRS). This meta-analysis aims to measure the impact of EAS on social skills in ASD. Using Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library, the means and standard deviations of every available SRS post-intervention scores in each participant group were collected from the five selected randomised controlled trials with 240 participants. An EAS significant beneficial impact was found for the total SRS score, social communication and social cognition. A tendency to a significant impact was found for social awareness and social motivation. No significant difference was shown for autistic mannerisms. This meta-analysis shows a significant beneficial impact of EAS for several social skills in ASD. Further randomised controlled trials are required to complement these results and expand the knowledge on the field of possibilities of this care in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Madigand
- Psychiatry Department, Fondation du Bon Sauveur de la Manche, Saint-Lô F-50000, France.
| | - Marine Rio
- SAMSAH TSA, LADAPT Manche, Saint-Lô F-50000, France
| | - Anaïs Vandevelde
- Psychiatry Department, CHU de Tours, Tours F-37000, France; UNICAEN, Inserm UMR-S 1237, GIP Cyceron, Caen F-14000, France
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He Q, Wang Y, Liu Z, Xia J, Yin H, Qiu Z, Wang H, Xu W, Xu Z, Xie J. Analysis of salivary steroid hormones in boys with autism spectrum disorder. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:105. [PMID: 36788524 PMCID: PMC9926760 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04586-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with high incidence rate and difficult diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to explore whether salivary cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and pregnenolone can be used as biomarkers of ASD children. METHODS The saliva samples of 55 boys with ASD were collected as the experimental group, and the saliva samples of 24 neurotypical boys were collected as the control group. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Repetitive Behavior Scale (RBS) were used to assess the severity of symptoms in boys with ASD. Cortisol, DHEA and pregnenolone concentrations in saliva were measured using an ABSSCIEX QTRAP® 6500 + LC/MS/MS system. SPSS 23.0 was used for statistical analysis. Comparisons between the two groups which conform to normal distribution were performed by T-test, and those which don't conform to normal distribution were performed by Mann-Whitney U test. Correlation analysis between two variables was performed using Spearman's correlation analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate the discriminatory sensitivity of each hormone between ASD and normal control groups. Logistic regression models were used to analyze whether DHEA and salivary pregnenolone can be used as a biomarker of ASD. RESULTS There were no significant differences in age, and weight between the ASD group and the normal control group. The ABC, SRS, RBS and CBCL scale scores in the ASD group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group. The salivary DHEA and pregnenolone concentrations in the ASD group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group, but there was no significant difference in cortisol. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that only pregnenolone associated with ABC. Logistic regression model analysis suggested that pregnenolone in saliva was an independent predictor of ASD. ROC analysis found that pregnenolone had good discrimination sensitivity between ASD and normal controls. CONCLUSION Gave salivary preoperative a space for utilization as biomarker as number of cases are limited to this high expectation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing He
- grid.410578.f0000 0001 1114 4286Department of Pediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000 China ,Guangyuan Central Hospital, Guangyuan, 628000 China
| | - Ying Wang
- Deyang Jingyang Maternal and Child Health Care and Family Planning Service Center, Deyang, 618000 China
| | - Zhichao Liu
- grid.460068.c0000 0004 1757 9645Chengdu Third People’s Hospital, Qinglong Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu, 610031 Sichuan China
| | - Jinrong Xia
- grid.460068.c0000 0004 1757 9645Chengdu Third People’s Hospital, Qinglong Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu, 610031 Sichuan China
| | - Heng Yin
- grid.460068.c0000 0004 1757 9645Chengdu Third People’s Hospital, Qinglong Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu, 610031 Sichuan China
| | - Zhongqing Qiu
- grid.460068.c0000 0004 1757 9645Chengdu Third People’s Hospital, Qinglong Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu, 610031 Sichuan China
| | - Hui Wang
- grid.460068.c0000 0004 1757 9645Chengdu Third People’s Hospital, Qinglong Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu, 610031 Sichuan China
| | - Wenming Xu
- grid.461863.e0000 0004 1757 9397West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Zhe Xu
- Guangyuan Central Hospital, Guangyuan, 628000 China
| | - Jiang Xie
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China. .,Chengdu Third People's Hospital, Qinglong Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu, 610031, Sichuan, China.
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Lisk C, Lawson LM, Vaduvathiriyan P. The Impact of Animal Exposure for Children with ASD: a Scoping Review. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-020-00227-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Griffin JA, Hurley K, McCune S. Human-Animal Interaction Research: Progress and Possibilities. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2803. [PMID: 31920846 PMCID: PMC6932996 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- James A. Griffin
- The National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Karyl Hurley
- Mars Incorporated, Global Scientific Affairs, McLean, VA, United States
| | - Sandra McCune
- The WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
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Germone MM, Gabriels RL, Guérin NA, Pan Z, Banks T, O'Haire ME. Animal-assisted activity improves social behaviors in psychiatrically hospitalized youth with autism. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2019; 23:1740-1751. [PMID: 30818971 DOI: 10.1177/1362361319827411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
There is preliminary research suggesting that animal-assisted activities can improve social interactions of children with autism spectrum disorder. This pilot study sought to investigate the benefits of animal-assisted activities with dogs and psychiatrically hospitalized youth with autism spectrum disorder. Participants were recruited from a specialized inpatient psychiatric hospital unit for youth with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. Utilizing a crossover design, participants served as their own control by engaging in two 10-min conditions: an experimental dog and handler interaction (animal-assisted activities) and a novel toy and handler control (control). Of the 142 youth aged 6--8 years screened for participation, 47 completed both conditions. Participants' behavioral data were captured via video and coded using the Observation of Human-Animal Interaction for Research, a tool specifically developed to capture human behavioral interactions in the presence of animals. Overall, social-communication behaviors significantly improved in the animal-assisted activities experimental condition compared to the control condition (p = 0.0001). Specifically, participants in the animal-assisted activities experimental condition displayed more positive emotional facial expressions (p ⩽ 0.0001), talking (p = 0.0408), use of gestures (p = 0.032), and looking at both adults and peers (p ⩽ 0.0001). In addition, a higher frequency of constant motion (p = 0.003) was observed in the animal-assisted activities experimental condition. Results suggest that animal-assisted activities with a dog may promote social-communication behaviors in psychiatrically hospitalized youth with autism spectrum disorder. Given the fact that social and communication behaviors can facilitate treatment engagement for this population, we recommend future studies examine how such improvements can positively affect the psychiatric treatment of this population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robin L Gabriels
- 1 University of Colorado, USA.,2 Children's Hospital Colorado, USA
| | | | - Zhaoxing Pan
- 1 University of Colorado, USA.,2 Children's Hospital Colorado, USA
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