Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a goal-oriented treatment in which an animal with defined standards is an essential part of the treatment routine. AAT is conveyed or offered by a health or human service provider operating with the range of their profession. The therapy is mainly associated with development in social and behavioral inadequacies. This attribute makes it a suitable intervention for children with an autism spectrum disorder. Raheema et al. (2017) found that pet therapy improved language use, social behavior, and reduced anxiety and undesirable behaviors in children with ASD. The study noted that the most commonly used pets were dogs and horses. Philippe-Peyroutet and Grandgeorge (2018) who conducted a similar research on the most effective pet indicated that of the most common species horses ranked 79.7 percent, dogs at 25.9 percent rabbits at 17.2 percent and rodents at 8.6 percent and the rest taken by other animals.
Borgi et al. (2015) study on the effectiveness of pet therapy on ASD children focused on horses. The activities in horse therapy involved ASD children grooming, riding with a vaulting girth and riding with a saddle as well as closure moments. The closure moments are individual sessions of ASD children in the stable where they feed and talk to the horses. The study concluded that children in equine-assisted therapy displayed some progress in social functioning and reduced delay of the initial move in a problem-solving assignment.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
A study by O’Haire et al. (2014) focused on the effectiveness of guinea pigs in pet therapy for children with ASD. Guinea pigs belong to a family of rodents. They are very social and have an urge for companionship. In the study, the main activity involved holding the guinea pig. Other activities included feeding and floor time. The study concluded that the presence of guinea pig amplified positive social behavior of classmates towards children with ASD. Though using guinea pig on ASD children is associated with positive outcomes, Gut et al. (2018) observed that it might negatively impact the guinea pig. The authors noted that the guinea pigs spent a considerable amount of time hiding as well as not eating during the therapy. Other observed effects included a sharp increase in freezing and vocalizing, decreased rest without retreat chances. The impact of the treatment on the behavior of the guinea pig questions their use in the therapy.
Silva et al. (2011) had their study use a dog to determine the efficacy of pet therapy in children with ASD. The activities in the study involved holding, petting activities, touching, and physical play. Like other pet therapies, the outcomes were positive. The authors, however, noted that the dogs displayed bouts of aggressiveness. The reaction from the children was obsessive staring, grabbing behavior, physical aggression, and verbally aggressive behavior. Raheema et al. (2017) observed that therapies involving dogs were at risk of bites and zoonosis.
Studies comparing the efficacy of the pets is limited. However, the differing outcomes and risk associated indicate, the total effectiveness of the pets differs depending on the pet. There is a need for a study to compare the behavioral and social outcome on the children as well as the behavior of the animals. Aggression, boredom, and deteriorating health on an animal may show the worrying finding.
References
Borgi, M., Loliva, D., Cerino, S., Chiarotti, F., Venerosi, A., Bramini, M., … Cirulli, F. (2015). Effectiveness of a Standardized Equine-Assisted Therapy Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders , 46 (1), 1-9. doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2530-6
Gut, W., Crump, L., Zinsstag, J., Hattendorf, J., & Hediger, K. (2018). The effect of human interaction on guinea pig behavior in animal-assisted therapy. Journal of Veterinary Behavior , 25 , 56-64. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2018.02.004
O'Haire, M. E., McKenzie, S. J., McCune, S., & Slaughter, V. (2014). Effects of Classroom Animal-Assisted Activities on Social Functioning in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine , 20 (3), 162-168. doi:10.1089/acm.2013.0165
Philippe-Peyroutet, C., & Grandgeorge, M. (2018). Animal-Assisted Interventions for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Survey of French Facilities. People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice , 1 (1). Retrieved from ISSN: 2575-9078
Raheema, C., Ahmad, N., & Omar, M. (2017). Potential Benefits of Pet-Facilitated-Therapy (PFT) In Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Scholars Journal of Applied Medical Sciences, 5(4), 1319-1325.
Silva, K., Correia, R., Lima, M., Magalhães, A., & De Sousa, L. (2011). Can Dogs Prime Autistic Children for Therapy? Evidence from a Single Case Study. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine , 17 (7), 655-659. doi:10.1089/acm.2010.0436
