Abstract
The unique needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have implications for animal welfare. This nested pilot study examined the effects of a randomized trial of 10-week therapeutic horseback riding (THR) intervention versus a no-horse barn activity (BA) control group on children’s behaviors with family pets. Sixty-seven (THR n = 31; BA n = 36) participants with ASD (ages 6–16 years) with one or more family pet, were enrolled from a larger trial (n = 116) following their randomization to intervention groups, stratified by nonverbal intellectual ability. A consistent caregiver completed questionnaires about participants’ interactions with their household pets pre- and post-intervention. Caregivers of THR group participants reported significant improvements in participants’ caring actions with the family pet compared with the BA group (p = 0.013; effect size = 0.74). Engaging with horses during a standard THR intervention protocol may generalize to improving caring actions toward family pets in children and adolescents with ASD.
Highlights
There can be a strong bond between a child and their pet, as can an animal provide comfort and a sense of security that in turn can facilitate positive social and stress management [1]
The present study reports additional results from the largest randomized trial (n = 127) to date of Therapeutic Horseback Riding (THR) with the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population [11]
There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to participants’ nonverbal intelligence-quotient (IQ), co-existing psychiatric diagnoses, number of pets, or type of pet owned
Summary
There can be a strong bond between a child and their pet, as can an animal provide comfort and a sense of security that in turn can facilitate positive social and stress management [1]. ASD diagnostic impairments involve difficulty in knowing how to relate to others in pro-social ways and understanding how their behaviors impact others [3] This population has a tendency to be over- or under-responsive to environmental stimulation and have difficulty generalizing skills learned in one setting to apply in another [4,5,6]. The nature of these unique diagnostic characteristics can jeopardize interactions between children with ASD and a pet living in the family home, which has been reported as a caregiver concern in this population [7,8]. This population has been reported to “be rough with animals and treat them like inanimate objects”, if they do not have specific interventions to teach appropriate care of animals [9]
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