Effect of Motorized Elephant-Assisted Therapy Program on Balance Control of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Satiansukpong Nuntanee, Sasat Daranee
PMID 31819740WHAT IT FOUND
Children with autism who added motorized elephant play to standard therapy showed better balance on stable floors.
No gains appeared on unstable foam surfaces. Parents reported improved daily control, but the small group and lack of randomization limit certainty.
Key findings
01The experimental group improved postural sway on stable floor conditions, but the control group showed no significant balance improvements.
02No significant difference between groups was found for balance tasks performed on unstable foam surfaces.
03Parents reported better postural control in real-life activities for children in the experimental group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study had only 20 participants, with 10 in each group. Participants were not randomly assigned to groups, which means pre-existing differences could have influenced the results. The control group received standard therapy, but the experimental group received standard therapy plus the new program, so it is unclear if the elephant activities or just the extra attention and time caused the improvement. The study took place in Thailand, where cultural familiarity with elephants may have increased engagement, limiting how well these results apply elsewhere. No significant improvements were seen on unstable surfaces, suggesting the benefit may not transfer to more challenging balance tasks.
Declared interests
The motorized elephants were created by three occupational therapists who were also the authors of the study, and the program was designed by them.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this program improves balance on all surfaces. The study found no significant difference between groups when participants stood on foam, meaning the benefit was limited to stable ground.