Wellness Effects of Animal-assisted Activities With Autism Spectrum Disorder Youth in a Specialized Psychiatric Hospital
Physiological Wellness Effects of Animal-assisted Activities in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Specialized Psychiatric Hospital Program
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.
Descripción general del estudio
Estado
Condiciones
Intervención / Tratamiento
Descripción detallada
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.
Tipo de estudio
Inscripción (Actual)
Fase
- No aplica
Criterios de participación
Criterio de elegibilidad
Edades elegibles para estudiar
Acepta Voluntarios Saludables
Géneros elegibles para el estudio
Descripción
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
Plan de estudios
¿Cómo está diseñado el estudio?
Detalles de diseño
- Propósito principal: Investigación de servicios de salud
- Asignación: No aleatorizado
- Modelo Intervencionista: Asignación cruzada
- Enmascaramiento: Único
Armas e Intervenciones
Grupo de participantes/brazo |
Intervención / Tratamiento |
|---|---|
|
Experimental: Canine & Adult Handler Activity
Unstructured 10-minute small group interaction with canine & handler
|
10 minutes interaction with therapy dog and adult handler in small group (2-4 participants).
Otros nombres:
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Comparador activo: Toy and Adult Handler Activity
Unstructured 10-minute small group interaction with toy & handler
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10 minutes interaction with therapy dog and adult handler in small group (2-4 participants).
Otros nombres:
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¿Qué mide el estudio?
Medidas de resultado primarias
Medida de resultado |
Medida Descripción |
Periodo de tiempo |
|---|---|---|
|
Change in physiological measurements with the wristband device from baseline through 90 minutes.
Periodo de tiempo: Baseline; 90 minutes
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The Wristband device is worn by the participant for 90 minutes during the day of the experimental condition.
Physiological measure of Galvanic skin response, heart rate, heart rate variability will be assessed at baseline through 90 minutes.
Collection points during this day includes comparison from baseline, social group, and experimental condition.
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Baseline; 90 minutes
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Medidas de resultado secundarias
Medida de resultado |
Medida Descripción |
Periodo de tiempo |
|---|---|---|
|
Observation of Human Animal Interaction for Research (OHAIRE-modified)
Periodo de tiempo: Two 10-minute conditions (experimental and control) on two separate days.
|
The Observation of Human-Animal Interaction for Research (OHAIRE) is a timed interval coding system intended to capture the unique interactions between humans and animals.
It was originally developed and piloted with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) interacting with typically-developing peers in a small group school setting with guinea pigs compared to toys.
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Two 10-minute conditions (experimental and control) on two separate days.
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Colaboradores e Investigadores
Patrocinador
Investigadores
- Investigador principal: Robin L Gabriels, Psy.D., University of Colorado, Denver
Publicaciones y enlaces útiles
Fechas de registro del estudio
Fechas importantes del estudio
Inicio del estudio (Actual)
Finalización primaria (Actual)
Finalización del estudio (Actual)
Fechas de registro del estudio
Enviado por primera vez
Primero enviado que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad
Publicado por primera vez (Actual)
Actualizaciones de registros de estudio
Última actualización publicada (Actual)
Última actualización enviada que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad
Última verificación
Más información
Términos relacionados con este estudio
Términos MeSH relevantes adicionales
Otros números de identificación del estudio
- 15-1227
Información sobre medicamentos y dispositivos, documentos del estudio
Estudia un producto farmacéutico regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.
Estudia un producto de dispositivo regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.
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Ensayos clínicos sobre Activity
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University Hospital, ToulouseActivo, no reclutando
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St. Joseph's Healthcare HamiltonHamilton Academic Health Sciences OrganizationTerminadoCáncer de pulmón de células no pequeñasCanadá
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Istituto Auxologico ItalianoReclutamientoComportamiento de saludItalia