Canine-assisted therapies in autism: A systematic review of published studies relevant to recreational therapy

Recreational therapists and other helping professionals have used animal-assisted therapies in the treatment of multiple psychological and physical issues. In the case of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), animals have helped with issues ranging from social interaction, to anxiety, to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Therapeutic recreation journal 2017-06, Vol.51 (2), p.127
Main Authors: Hallyburton, Ann, Hinton, Jennifer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal assisted therapy
Animals
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Care and treatment
Dogs
Efficacy
Evidence Based Practice
Families & family life
Forecasts and trends
Guidelines
Handbooks
Health care
Helping professionals
Indexing
Interpersonal Competence
Interpersonal Relationship
Intervention
Medical Services
Meetings
Mental health
Meta Analysis
Methods
Methods Research
Patient outcomes
Pervasive developmental disorders
Pets
Professionals
Psychological Patterns
Qualitative research
Quality
Recreation
Recreational therapy
Resistance (Psychology)
Scientific Research
Social anxiety
Social interaction
Social skills
Systematic review
Therapeutic Recreation
Therapists
Therapy
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Summary:Recreational therapists and other helping professionals have used animal-assisted therapies in the treatment of multiple psychological and physical issues. In the case of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), animals have helped with issues ranging from social interaction, to anxiety, to physical balance. While researchers have applied rigorous review methods (including systematic reviews and meta-analyses) to evaluating the efficacy of animal-assisted interventions with various populations, publications detailing such research into canine-specific assisted therapies with individuals with ASD are missing. This review applies Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to evaluating empirical research on this application of animal-assisted therapy. Intensive searches of health care, psychological, educational, sociological, and other relevant resources yielded a limited number of studies meeting criteria for inclusion in this research. Those studies, however, provide a meaningful window into the efficacy of canine-assisted therapies used with individuals with ASD. A review of these studies that explores what the preponderance of the evidence suggests on this topic should benefit recreational therapy practitioners and their clients.
ISSN:0040-5914
2159-6433
DOI:10.18666/TRJ-2017-V51-I2-7969