Canine Assisted Occupational Therapy for Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Pilot Randomised Control Trial
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Canine Assisted Occupational Therapy for Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Pilot Randomised Control Trial Jessica Hill1 · Jenny Ziviani1 · Carlie Driscoll1 · Ai Lin Teoh1 · Jia Min Chua1 · Judy Cawdell‑Smith2
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Children on the autism spectrum frequently display difficulties engaging with people and with functional tasks. A pilot, randomised control trial was completed to explore the impact of canine assisted occupational therapy on the on-task behaviours and goal attainment of autistic children when compared to occupational therapy sessions as usual. Twenty-two children between the ages of 4, and 6 years and 11 months, were randomly placed in either the treatment group (n-11) or waitlist control group (n = 11). Results showed that although there was a positive trend for on-task behaviour and goal attainment within the treatment group, results were not statistically significant. These results support the need for further research in the area of canine assisted occupational therapy for autistic children. Keywords Animal assisted therapy · Occupational therapy · Autistic disorder · On-task behaviours · Goal attainment Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by difficulty with social behaviours, communication, language, and restrictive and repetitive behaviours (American Psychiatric Association 2013; World Health Organisation 2017). It has been suggested that due to these difficulties, children on the autism spectrum display less time engaged within functional activities and with peers when compared to children not on the autism spectrum (Llambias et al. 2016; Schatz et al. 2016). Walting and Dietz (2007, p. 567) described engagement as an “intentional, active, and focused interaction with the environment, including people and objects.” Engagement is considered multifaceted, comprised of behavioural, emotional and cognitive elements (Fredricks et al. 2004). Behavioural engagement is the most visible as it is displayed by the individual through active participation within an activity (on-task behaviour). Cognitive engagement pertains to willingness on the part of the child to invest their time and effort in order to master a difficult skill. Emotional engagement is subtler as it involves the child’s reaction to their social * Jessica Hill [email protected] 1
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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partners throughout the course of the activity (Fredricks et al. 2004). Engagement, with all its elements, is considered crucial for learning and goal attainment, as children are able to learn more effectively this way than when passively observing or receiving information (King et al. 2014). Occupational therapy is the second most accessed therapy service by families with children on the autism spectrum (Ashburner et al. 2014). The goal
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