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.
Panoramica dello studio
Stato
Condizioni
Intervento / Trattamento
Descrizione dettagliata
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 di studio
Iscrizione (Effettivo)
Fase
- Non applicabile
Criteri di partecipazione
Criteri di ammissibilità
Età idonea allo studio
Accetta volontari sani
Sessi ammissibili allo studio
Descrizione
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
Piano di studio
Come è strutturato lo studio?
Dettagli di progettazione
- Scopo principale: Ricerca sui servizi sanitari
- Assegnazione: Non randomizzato
- Modello interventistico: Assegnazione incrociata
- Mascheramento: Separare
Armi e interventi
Gruppo di partecipanti / Arm |
Intervento / Trattamento |
|---|---|
|
Sperimentale: 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).
Altri nomi:
|
|
Comparatore attivo: Toy and Adult Handler Activity
Unstructured 10-minute small group interaction with toy & handler
|
10 minutes interaction with therapy dog and adult handler in small group (2-4 participants).
Altri nomi:
|
Cosa sta misurando lo studio?
Misure di risultato primarie
Misura del risultato |
Misura Descrizione |
Lasso di tempo |
|---|---|---|
|
Change in physiological measurements with the wristband device from baseline through 90 minutes.
Lasso di tempo: Baseline; 90 minutes
|
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.
|
Baseline; 90 minutes
|
Misure di risultato secondarie
Misura del risultato |
Misura Descrizione |
Lasso di tempo |
|---|---|---|
|
Observation of Human Animal Interaction for Research (OHAIRE-modified)
Lasso di tempo: 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.
|
Two 10-minute conditions (experimental and control) on two separate days.
|
Collaboratori e investigatori
Sponsor
Investigatori
- Investigatore principale: Robin L Gabriels, Psy.D., University of Colorado, Denver
Pubblicazioni e link utili
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Inizio studio (Effettivo)
Completamento primario (Effettivo)
Completamento dello studio (Effettivo)
Date di iscrizione allo studio
Primo inviato
Primo inviato che soddisfa i criteri di controllo qualità
Primo Inserito (Effettivo)
Aggiornamenti dei record di studio
Ultimo aggiornamento pubblicato (Effettivo)
Ultimo aggiornamento inviato che soddisfa i criteri QC
Ultimo verificato
Maggiori informazioni
Termini relativi a questo studio
Termini MeSH pertinenti aggiuntivi
Altri numeri di identificazione dello studio
- 15-1227
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