Effects of Dog Assisted Therapy for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial.
Carolien Wijker, Ruslan Leontjevas, Annelies Spek and 1 others
PMID 30900194WHAT IT FOUND
Dog-assisted therapy lowered stress and family or friends reported easier social communication, but self-reported symptoms and self-esteem did not improve more than in the control group.
The trial was small.
Key findings
01Perceived stress scores decreased by 3.3 points compared with waiting list control.
02Family or friends reported an 11.9 point reduction in social difficulties.
03Total psychological and physical symptoms, self-esteem, and participant-reported social difficulties did not change significantly.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The trial was exploratory and small, so it cannot establish treatment effects. Many outcomes were tested without correction for multiple testing. The paper does not clearly state the final number analysed. Some informant questionnaires were not returned, and missing self-report items were filled using mean scores. Participants were selected for high stress and symptom scores, and people with intellectual disability, institutionalization, or fear of dogs were excluded. The sample had limited ethnic diversity.
Declared interests
Stichting Olim funded the study. The supplied text does not report author disclosures. The therapy program was developed by therapists and dog behavioral specialists from Stichting Hulphond Nederland and psychologists from GGZ Oost Brabant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that dog-assisted therapy is proven for adults with autism. This was an exploratory trial with multiple outcomes and no correction for multiple testing, and several self-reported outcomes were not significant.