Exploring the Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) for Children with ASD Across Countries: A Systematic Review.
Hiu Wo Chan, Lucy Shih Ju Hsu, Kathy Kar Man Shum
PMID 40029503WHAT IT FOUND
Dogs and horses dominated human-animal interaction for children with ASD, and animal-assisted interventions were more common than pet ownership.
Country patterns differed, with US home-based pet ownership and Europe/Asia therapy-animal use.
Key findings
01Across 97 included studies, dogs and horses were the most common companion animals.
02Animal-assisted interventions were more common than pet ownership, with 73 AAI studies and 24 pet ownership studies.
03Country patterns differed, with US studies focused on pet ownership and Europe and Asia focused on therapeutic applications involving companion or service animals.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only English-language studies were included, so relevant work from non-English countries, especially in Asia, may be missing. The search terms focused on social and emotional outcomes, so behavioural and motor benefits were not reviewed. The review did not examine which therapeutic components of HAI, such as animal traits or handling, may have produced benefits. It did not test mechanisms or compare Eastern and Western countries with rigorous validation. The review reports counts of study features and cultural patterns, not pooled treatment effects.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this review as evidence that animal-assisted interventions work for children with ASD. It counted study features and cultural patterns, and it did not test or combine treatment effects.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →