Effectiveness of Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies for Improving Adaptive Behavior and Motor Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Leonardo Zoccante,Sara Sabaini,Gianfranco Di Gennaro,Luigi Alberto Gozzi,Silvia Gagliardoni,Marco Luigi Ciceri,Michele Marconi,Marco Colizzi

doi:10.3390/jcm10081726

Leonardo Zoccante, Sara Sabaini + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10081726

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Abstract

Equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) have been suggested to improve adaptive behavior, and possibly motor function, in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study investigated the effects of EAAT on adaptive behavior and motor function in 15 children with ASD (13 males) aged 7–15 years as well as the impact of EAAT on the magnitude of stress in the parent–child system and the evolution in the child interaction with both the trained therapist and the therapeutic animal through the 20 weekly sessions of EAAT. EAAT were associated with greater adaptive behavior and coordination (all p ≤ 0.01) as well as a progressive improvement in the child’s abilities to respond to the increasing complexity of such form of positive behavioral support (all p < 0.001). However, EAAT did not prove to be effective in reducing parental distress. Collectively, preliminary evidence presented here may have important public health implications and gives reason to hope that EAAT could possibly be an effective option in ASD, warranting further investigation of its potential benefits in clinical trials among larger samples.

Highlights

Introduction published maps and institutional affilAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a large and heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental conditions diagnosed on the basis of a triad of behavioral impairments, including impaired social interaction, impaired communication and restricted and repetitive interests and activities [1], that can be observed prior to 3 years of age [2]
A graphical representation of the association between the equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) and the Interaction Emotions Motor Skills (IEMS) sub-domains is reported in the Supplementary Figures
On the IEMS sub-domains was tested by treating time as a continuous variable, across the 20 IEMS measurements. This experimental study examined whether EAAT are effective in reducing difficulties associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Summary

Introduction

Introduction published maps and institutional affilAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a large and heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental conditions diagnosed on the basis of a triad of behavioral impairments, including impaired social interaction, impaired communication and restricted and repetitive interests and activities [1], that can be observed prior to 3 years of age [2]. Research attempts to identify a single explanation for the three core aspects of ASD have found evidence of fractionation at the genetic, neural and cognitive levels [1]. ASD is by nature a multifactorial disease [3], whose different features are probably caused by different genes, associated with different brain regions and related to different core cognitive impairments, and are likely to respond to different types of treatment instead of a single “cure” or intervention [1]. Complementary and Alternative Methods (CAM) of treatment may support the classic medical approach [4]. It is not uncommon in the clinical practice that parents of children with ASD would ask for different treatments in addition iations

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