Animal assisted interventions for children with ASD : impact on language and communication

Abstract

Overview of the topic: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which is attributed to persistent, reciprocal social communication deficits along with the presence of repetitive behaviours (Hodges et al., 2020). The prevalence of ASD as reported by CDC (2019) revealed that 1 in 59 children (4 years) are diagnosed with ASD across Europe. Since the disability manifests uniquely in every individual, several approaches may be introduced to cater for the needs of the autistic individual, including the use of Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI). The aim of this dissertation is to explore, the impact of AAI on language and communication. The research question: Do animal assisted interventions compared with standardised care improve language and communication outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorders? PICO elements: The population comprised of children with ASD, followed by animal assisted interventions as the intervention component versus standardised care as the comparison. The intended outcome was an improvement in language and communication. Inclusion and exclusion criteria: Children with a diagnosis of ASD, along with the use of AAI were the focus of the search. Inclusion criteria implemented were: peer reviewed English published within the last 10 years (2011 onwards) where the outcome was exclusively language and communication excluding other outcomes such as behavioural, emotional, social aspect. Outcome of the search: Five articles were selected for the purpose of this dissertation (4 Systematic Reviews and 1 Meta Analysis). Methods: A detailed systematic literature search was executed by utilising several electronic databases. CASP tools were used to critically appraise the selected literature, while taking into consideration the ethical issues present within the research. Results: Overall, the findings of thesis articles indicate that AAI may offer positive outcomes. However, due to several limitations encountered within the study designs, a conclusion whether animal assisted interventions for children with autism can improve language and communication outcomes; remains indefinite. Conclusions: AAI may be helpful in assisting children with ASD to improve communication and language and there is a potential for future research. Implications and Recommendations: The implementation of AAI as part of an educational and health programme for children with ASD may be beneficial for language and communication outcomes. The addition of larger sample sizes, to ensure generalisability is one of the recommendations emphasised by the author, with the inclusion of improved study designs – such as the need for RCTs, as well as narrowing the age group for the participants that could partake in the study. The formation of guidelines and allocation of resources should be introduced within healthcare establishments, while providing education for the necessary staff and promoting awareness of AAI.