The effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy in the management of social functioning and communication deficits in children and adolescents with autism

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition of wavering severity with prevailing symptoms that can be identified from early childhood, mainly characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication and by restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behaviour (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2022). ASD symptoms do not affect every person in the same way, meaning that people with ASD have their own individual tussles and different treatment needs. Modern treatment options for ASD strive to reduce the deficits that impede with daily tasks and quality of life. The aim of this dissertation was to study whether Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is an effective intervention in the management of social functioning deficits in children and adolescents with ASD. The following research question was articulated and all the aspects of PICO were considered: Is Equine-Assisted Therapy effective in the management of social functioning and social communication deficits in children and adolescents with Autism? A search for suitable articles was conducted through various databases. Search terms and keywords connected to the search were extracted from the question formulated with the use of the PICO framework. The studies retrieved were aligned with an inclusion and exclusion criteria leading to only the relevant articles. These criteria included elements such as population, age, research methodology, publication date and the kind of interventions that were carried out. Finally, six articles were selected and the critical appraisal was carried out using critiquing tools accordingly, mainly the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). The findings indicate positive effects of Equine-assisted therapy in improving social functioning in children and adolescents suffering from ASD. However, robust conclusions on the effectiveness of EAT on the social functioning of children with ASD cannot be made due to issues with methodology quality in the available research studies. Further research would benefit from clear therapy protocols, and clear subjects’ inclusion and exclusion criteria amongst others. This review also made several recommendations for research, practice, education, and management to progress and disseminate the conclusions attained.