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.
Visão geral do estudo
Status
Condições
Intervenção / Tratamento
Descrição detalhada
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 estudo
Inscrição (Real)
Estágio
- Não aplicável
Critérios de participação
Critérios de elegibilidade
Idades elegíveis para estudo
Aceita Voluntários Saudáveis
Gêneros Elegíveis para o Estudo
Descrição
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
Plano de estudo
Como o estudo é projetado?
Detalhes do projeto
- Finalidade Principal: Pesquisa de serviços de saúde
- Alocação: Não randomizado
- Modelo Intervencional: Atribuição cruzada
- Mascaramento: Solteiro
Armas e Intervenções
Grupo de Participantes / Braço |
Intervenção / Tratamento |
|---|---|
|
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).
Outros nomes:
|
|
Comparador Ativo: 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).
Outros nomes:
|
O que o estudo está medindo?
Medidas de resultados primários
Medida de resultado |
Descrição da medida |
Prazo |
|---|---|---|
|
Change in physiological measurements with the wristband device from baseline through 90 minutes.
Prazo: 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
|
Medidas de resultados secundários
Medida de resultado |
Descrição da medida |
Prazo |
|---|---|---|
|
Observation of Human Animal Interaction for Research (OHAIRE-modified)
Prazo: 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.
|
Colaboradores e Investigadores
Patrocinador
Investigadores
- Investigador principal: Robin L Gabriels, Psy.D., University of Colorado, Denver
Publicações e links úteis
Datas de registro do estudo
Datas Principais do Estudo
Início do estudo (Real)
Conclusão Primária (Real)
Conclusão do estudo (Real)
Datas de inscrição no estudo
Enviado pela primeira vez
Enviado pela primeira vez que atendeu aos critérios de CQ
Primeira postagem (Real)
Atualizações de registro de estudo
Última Atualização Postada (Real)
Última atualização enviada que atendeu aos critérios de controle de qualidade
Última verificação
Mais Informações
Termos relacionados a este estudo
Termos MeSH relevantes adicionais
Outros números de identificação do estudo
- 15-1227
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