The Impact of Animal Exposure for Children with ASD: a Scoping Review
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REVIEW PAPER
The Impact of Animal Exposure for Children with ASD: a Scoping Review Caitlin Lisk 1
&
Lisa Mische Lawson 1 & Prasanna Vaduvathiriyan 1
Received: 13 April 2020 / Accepted: 23 October 2020 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Animal-assisted interventions are increasingly used for children with ASD to promote inclusion and quality of life but are not accessible to many families. Companion animals may provide similar benefit but have not been well-investigated within this population. This scoping review presents the state of research regarding natural-based animal exposure to children and adolescents with ASD. Thirteen studies met the criteria for inclusion within this review. The results found primary themes to include social skills and relationships; emerging subthemes included safety and security, and mental health benefits related to social skills. The research was primarily exploratory and qualitative with flawed methodology. Recommendations include continued research with longitudinal designs, more rigorous methodologies, and use of objective measures to study the human-animal bond. Keywords Human-animal bond . Autism . ASD . Animals . Natural intervention . Animal exposure
Introduction Humans and animals have been interacting for thousands of years, with the domestication of cats estimated to have begun 9000 years ago and dogs beginning over 30,000 years ago (Driscoll et al., 2007; Wang et al., 2016). Currently, research estimates over 85 million US households have animals (American Pet Products Association, 2019), and literature regarding how animals may help humans is growing. A study funded by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) found animal ownership was linked to a reduction in healthcare costs by up to $11.37 billion dollars; this study reported 132.8 million pet owners were 60% less likely to visit a doctor for healthcare needs (Clower & Neaves, 2015). Furthermore, this research found animal owners report lower
* Caitlin Lisk [email protected] Lisa Mische Lawson [email protected] Prasanna Vaduvathiriyan [email protected] 1
University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
stress, healthier weights, improved cardiovascular health, and reduced allergies when compared to those without animals. Animals are increasingly being used as complementary therapy with vulnerable populations through animal-assisted intervention. These interventions include sessions with a trained animal handler and a team of individuals whom implement these interventions in community-based settings for a limited amount of time. A recent review of the literature indicates animal-assisted intervention can decrease agitation and aggression and increase quality of life and social interactions when introduced to individuals with dementia (Yakimicki et al., 2019). Further review of the literature showed animalassisted interventions have been beneficial for individuals who have experienced trauma, particularly those diagnos
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