Clinical trial of the effects of therapy dogs on social behavior in group social skills instruction with children with autism

项目摘要/摘要 动物辅助干预(AAI)可增加自闭症谱系障碍儿童的社会行为 (ASD)，尽管发生这种情况的机制仍然难以捉摸。这个项目的中心目标是 确定狗对患有自闭症儿童的社会促进作用所涉及的机制。我们会 将治疗犬纳入以循证为基础的团体社交技能指导计划 ASD儿童，采用受试者之间和受试者内比较的对照实验设计 生理和行为结果测量。我们预测治疗犬将有一个特定的和可测量的 对儿童社会行为的影响，这种影响是通过可识别的机制获得的。具体来说， 我们假设(1)将治疗犬整合到团体社交技能教学中将导致减少 与传统的团体教学相比，压力和改善的社会行为；(2)反复接触 治疗狗跨疗程将增加孩子与狗共处的偏好，并将增加 狗的社会促进作用；(3)治疗师将经历更少的压力，更多的参与 对儿童的社交和附属行为，并在会议期间提供更高质量的指导 包括狗。我们将招收72名患有自闭症的儿童参加由6人授课的社交技能小组课程 心理医生。每个孩子将经历一个为期10周的8人班，在这个班中，(A)前5周将 涉及治疗犬，(B)最后5周将涉及治疗犬，或(C)课程将不涉及治疗 狗。治疗师将在项目的三个周期内重复教授课程，并使用不同的 孩子们，在每一种情况下轮流。社会行为，应激行为，心率，皮肤电活动， 儿童和治疗师的唾液皮质醇浓度将被评估和比较 条件。儿童对狗和同伴的社交行为的方向和素质的变化 还将评估与不养狗治疗相比，在狗治疗期间对治疗师的指导。这个 这项研究的结果将极大地加强目前对患有糖尿病患者的干预 ASD.

Project Summary/Abstract Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) can increase social behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although the mechanism by which this occurs remains elusive. The central goal of this project is to identify the mechanisms involved in the social-enhancing effect of dogs on children with ASD. We will incorporate therapy dogs into an established evidence-based, group social skills instruction program for children with ASD, using a controlled experimental design with between- and within- subject comparisons and physiological and behavioral outcome measures. We predict therapy dogs to have a specific and measurable effect on children's social behavior and that this effect is gained through identifiable mechanisms. Specifically, we hypothesize that (1) an integration of therapy dogs into group social skills instruction will result in reduced stress and improved social behavior compare to traditional group instruction; (2) repeated exposure to the therapy dog across sessions will increase a child's preference for spending time with the dog and will increase the social-enhancing effects of the dog; and (3) that the therapists will experience less stress, engage in more social and affiliative behavior towards the children, and deliver higher quality instruction during sessions that include dogs. We will enroll 72 children with ASD into group social skills instruction classes taught by 6 therapists. Each child will experience a 10-week, 8-student class in which either (a) the first 5 weeks will involve a therapy dog, (b) the last 5 weeks will involve the therapy dog, or (c) the class will not involve a therapy dog. The therapists will teach the courses repeatedly across the three cycles of the program with different children, rotating through each condition. Social behavior, stress behavior, heart rate, electrodermal activity, and salivary cortisol concentrations of children and therapists will be assessed and compared across conditions. The direction of the children's social behavior towards the dog and peers and the changes in quality of instruction of therapists during dog sessions compared to no-dog sessions will also be assessed. The outcomes of this research will lead to significant enhancements in current interventions for individuals with ASD.