Outcomes of assistance dog placement in the home for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their families: A pilot study.

Introduction: Evidence indicates that assistance dogs placed in the home are effective in supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by increasing social and community participation and promoting quality of life. This study aimed to examine the outcomes of assistance dog placement on...

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Publicado en:Australian Occupational Therapy Journal Vol. 69; no. 1; pp. 50 - 64
Autores principales: Leung, Joyce Yan‐Lok, Mackenzie, Lynette, Dickson, Claire
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Feb2022
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Feb2022
      vid: 69
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        10.1111/1440-1630.12768
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        atl: Outcomes of assistance dog placement in the home for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their families: A pilot study.
      aug:
        au:
          Leung, Joyce Yan‐Lok
          Mackenzie, Lynette
          Dickson, Claire
        affil: Faculty of Medicine and Health, Susan Wakil Building, The University of Sydney, Sydney New South Wales,, Australia
      sug:
        subj:
          Service Animals Australia
          Dogs
          Home Environment
          Persons with Disabilities
          Autism Spectrum Disorder
          Family
          Quality of Life
          Social Participation
          Functional Status
          Human
          Pilot Studies
          Cross Sectional Studies
          Comparative Studies
          Australia
          Adaptation, Psychological
          Social Behavior
          Activities of Daily Living
          Purposive Sample
          Severity of Illness
          Psychological Well-Being
          Scales
          Checklists
          Questionnaires
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Personal Satisfaction
          Self Care
          Descriptive Statistics
          Mann-Whitney U Test
          Data Analysis Software
          Confidence Intervals
          Child
          Adolescence
          Adult
          Child: 6-12 years
          Adolescent: 13-18 years
          Adult: 19-44 years
      ab: Introduction: Evidence indicates that assistance dogs placed in the home are effective in supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by increasing social and community participation and promoting quality of life. This study aimed to examine the outcomes of assistance dog placement on quality of life, independence, and participation of families including individuals with ASD placed with an assistance dog compared to families on the waiting list for an autism assistance dog and to evaluate the feasibility of the design for future studies. Methods: A cross‐sectional comparative study was conducted. The Adaptive Behaviour Analysis System, Social Responsiveness Scale, Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist, Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, and Autism Family Experience Questionnaire were used to evaluate adaptive skills, behaviour, social difficulties, daily functioning, and family quality of life. Results: Six families who had an autism assistance dog placed with them, and 12 families who were on the waiting list were recruited using purposeful sampling. The pilot data found no significant differences between the two groups. However, trends were observed which suggested that assistance dogs can increase desired social behaviours, decrease ASD severity, and improve family wellbeing. For families with an assistance dog, more positive outcomes were observed for families who were partnered with an assistance dog for longer. Parents (and sometimes individuals with ASD) were able to complete and return the outcome measures via mail to collect the outcome data for the study. Conclusion: These study findings add to the developing evidence about the use of assistance dogs with this population. A larger sample size may have allowed for significant associations to be detected. The methods used were feasible to be applied in a larger study. These results may assist health professionals advocate for funding for assistance dog placement to individuals with ASD and their families.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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