The Effects of Equine-Assisted Therapy on the Social Functioning of Autistic Adults. Sarah Ruthen Briarcliff High School

Transcription

1 The Effects of Equine-Assisted Therapy on the Social Functioning of Autistic Adults Sarah Ruthen Briarcliff High School

2 Autism Spectrum Disorders Neurodevelopmental disorders Social interaction Communication Repetitive Behavior Diagnosed 1 in 110 births as of 2009 (Newschaffer et al 2009)

3 Equine-Assisted Therapy Patient responds to the therapeutic effects of the horse (Murphy et al 2008) Complementary therapy Wide range of benefits Physical Emotional

4 E.A.T. & ASD s Multi-sensory experience (Sams et al 2006) Vision Hearing Smell Tactile

5 E.A.T. & the Social Functioning of Children Children 5-9 with ASD s Sensory Profile & Social Responsiveness Scale Improvements in: Cognition Communication Motivation Mannerisms. (Bass et al 2010)

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7 Objectives of Research Most studies include physical disabilities Prior research dealt with children Measure same effects with adults

8 Hypotheses H 1 : Equine-assisted therapy will have a positive effect on the scores of the Social Responsiveness Scale from pre to post intervention with autistic adults. H 0 : There will be no change in the scores of the Social Responsiveness Scale from pre to post intervention with equine-assisted therapy and autistic adults.

9 Participants Ten adult participants 7 male, 3 female Caucasian Recruited from autism homes

10 Setting: Hidden Hollow Farm

11 Intervention Every Sunday for 8 weeks 30 minute sessions Riding/Animal husbandry SRS pre and post

12 Social Responsiveness Scale

13 Qualitative Analysis Observation journal Affect Participation Mannerisms

14 Participants Pre-Intervention Score N= AVERAGE= Results Post-Intervention Score

15 Results

16 Significance p= High significance Confirms H 1 Comparing Means [ Paired two-sample t-test ] Descriptive Statistics VAR Sample size Mean Varianc e ###### # ###### # Summary Hypothesized Mean Degrees Of Freedom 8Difference Test Statistics Pooled Variance 0.E+0 ###### # Two-tailed distribution p-level t Critical Value (5%) One-tailed distribution p-level t Critical Value (5%) Pearson Correlation Coefficient G-criterion Test Statistics p-level Critical Value (5%) Pagurova criterion Test Statistics p-level Ratio of variances parameter Critical Value (5%)

17 Qualitative Results Decreased autistic mannerisms Improved speech Improved overall affect

18 Discussion EAT may improve Social functioning Cognitive functioning Overall happiness Range of participants Still proving efficacy

19 Limitations Number of participants Length of intervention Severity of ASD s 36.jpg

20 Bibliography Cumella, Edward. "Efficacy of Equine Therapy: Mounting Evidence." American Journal of Occupational Therapy. (1997): n. page. Print. Fine, Aubrey. "Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice." 3. (2010): n. page. Print. Hakanson, Margareta. "The Horse as the Healer-A Study of Riding in Patients with Back Pain."Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (2007): Print. Haylock, Pamela. "Healing With Horses: Fostering Recovery From Cancer With Horses as Therapists." Journal of Science and Healing. 2.3 (2006): Print. Hoffmann, A. O. M., Lee, A. H., Wertenauer, F., Ricken, R., Jansen, J. J., Gallinat, J. & Lang, U.E. (2009). Dog-assisted intervention significantly reduces anxiety in hospitalized patients with major depression. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, Vol.1, No.3, pp Kruger, Katherine. "Animal-Assisted Interventions in Mental Health: Definitions and TheoreticalFoundations." Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice, 2e. (2006): Print. Matson, Johnny. "The Increasing Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders." Research inautism Spectrum Disorders. 5.1 (2010): Print. McGibbon, Nancy. "Immediate and Long-Term Effects of Hippotherapy on Symmetry of Adductor Muscle Activity and Functional Ability in Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy." Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2009): Print. Murphy, Deirdra. "The Effect of Hippotherapy on Functional Outcomes for Children with Disabilities: A Pilot Study." Pediatric Physical Therapy. (2008): Print. Newschaffer, Craig. "The Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders." Annual Rev iew of Public Health. (2006): Print. Sams, Mona. "Occupational Therapy Incorporating Animals for Children With Autism: A Pilot Investigation." American Journal of Occupational Therapy (2006): Print. Schultz, Pamela. "Equine-assisted psychotherapy: a mental health promotion/intervention modality for children who hav e experienced intra-family v iolence." Health and Social Care inthe Community (2007): Print.

21 Questions?