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Brief Report: Above and beyond Safety--Psychosocial and Biobehavioral Impact of Autism-Assistance Dogs on Autistic Children and Their Families
- Source :
-
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders . Jan 2023 53(1):468-483. - Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- Autism-Assistance Dogs (AADs) are highly-skilled service animals trained primarily to ensure the safety of an autistic child by preventing elopement and mitigating 'meltdowns'. Although anecdotal accounts and case-studies have indicated that AADs confer benefits above and beyond safety, empirical support anchored in validated clinical, behavioral, and physiological measures is lacking. To address this gap, we studied children and their families before and after receiving a well-trained AAD using a within-subject, repeated-measures design. Notably, this study is the first to assess change in a biomarker for chronic stress in both autistic children and their parents. Final analyses included pre-/post-AAD data from 11 triads (parent/handler-dog-child) demonstrating significantly positive psychosocial and biobehavioral effects of AADs.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0162-3257 and 1573-3432
- Volume :
- 53
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- ERIC
- Journal :
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- EJ1364525
- Document Type :
- Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05410-0