The evaluation of a multi-site novel imitation based animal assisted intervention for children with developmental disabilities and their family dog

项目总结/摘要 此R 01应用程序将提供多学科的一个健康的方法，以模仿为基础的物理 对发育障碍青少年及其家庭犬只进行活动干预。小说《inter- 预防方法包括在既定的狗训练方案中使用家庭狗，重点是 体育活动，旨在改善儿童的体育活动、生活质量和社会福祉 有发育障碍。研究小组已经测试了这个计划的可行性， 初步研究结果显示， 在这种动物辅助干预之后的发育障碍。相对有限， 研究的重点是身体活动的青少年发育障碍，并有重新- 主要是迫切需要制定战略，鼓励青少年积极的生活方式， 精神残疾。动物辅助治疗对士气有积极的影响， 已知可减轻儿童和成人的抑郁心理症状。然而，传统的“服务 养狗的费用对许多家庭来说太贵了。养狗本身就能改善健康状况- 相关的体力活动。因此，迫切需要创造容易实施的身体活动干预措施。 可访问并提供可管理的家庭体力活动坚持，但成本较低 传统的服务犬。为了实现这些目标，该项目的研究人员开发了 以下具体目的：1）评估一种新的模仿为基础的狗训练计划，以促进身体 2）评估参与活动对发育障碍儿童的影响; 模仿为基础的狗训练计划对儿童的生活质量，社会福祉的感觉和 评估儿童与家犬的人-动物互动关系 根据参与该计划。这项研究的长期目标是改善 有发育障碍的青少年。这项研究支持一个健康倡议，并带来 改善与人类和动物发展有关的健康方面。

Project Summary/ Abstract This R01 application will provide a multidisciplinary One Health approach to an imitation-based physical activity intervention for adolescents with developmental disabilities and their family dog. The novel inter- vention approach includes the use of the family dog in an established dog training protocol, focused on physical activity and aimed at improving physical activity, quality of life and social wellbeing for children with developmental disabilities. The study team has tested the feasibility of this program and their preliminary findings have revealed phyiscal and social-emotional improvements in children with developmental disabilities following this animal assisted intervention. There has been relativeily limited research focused on the physical activity of adolescents with developmental disabilities and there re- mains a critical need to develop strategies that will encourage an active lifestyle for adolescents with de- velopmental disabilities. Animal assisted therapy has known positive impacts on morale and is also known to reduce depressive psychological symptoms for children and adults. Yet, traditional ‘service dogs’ are prohibitively expensive for many families. Dog ownership alone is known to improve health- related physical activity. Thus, a critical need exists to create physical activity interventions that are easily accessible and provide manageable home-based physical activity adherence, but that are less expensive than traditional service dogs. To achieve these goals the investigators of this project have developed the following specific aims: 1) To evaluate a novel imitation-based dog training program to promote physical activity in children with developmental disabilities; 2) To evaluate the impact of participation in an imitation-based dog-training program on the child’s quality of life, feelings of social wellbeing and the child-dog relationship; 3) To evaluation the human-animal-interaction of the child and the family dog based on participation in the program. The long term goal of this research is to improve the lives of adolescents with developmental disabilities. This research supports the One Health initiative and brings together aspects of improving health related to human and animal development.