Therapy dogs for children with autism spectrum disorder: Impacts of active versus passive dog engagement

Abstract

The use of animal-assisted interventions as a method of improving symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is becoming increasingly common, with a significant proportion of available literature suggesting improvements in social communication and interaction. Less is known about potential impacts on restricted and repetitive behaviors, motor skills, or executive functions. Furthermore, it is unknown what level of interaction with an animal, if any, is needed to produce improvements. In the current study, the behavior and skills of 16 children diagnosed with ASD, aged 2 to 4 years, were observed when a therapy dog, Muffin, was actively interacting with them, passively present in a classroom, or absent from the classroom. Contrary to expectations, the children actively interacted with the dog only infrequently, and there were no differences across conditions on numerous variables. Muffin’s presence and activity level was only associated with motor skills in the children, with results indicating that the participants were more likely to remain stationary than engage in physical activity when the therapy dog was present, perhaps indicating a global calming effect. The general lack of significant differences suggests that further studies may be necessary to determine exactly which symptoms of ASD respond to animal-assisted interventions, and also to determine optimal treatment dosage and frequency. We contend that the design of animal-assisted intervention may be critical in producing previously reported benefits.