Back to resultsEquine-assisted Occupational Therapy for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Primary Purpose
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Status
Completed
Phase
Not Applicable
Locations
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Equine assisted occupational therapy
Sponsored by
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- diagnosis of Autism spectrum disorder by a multidisciplinary team,
- between ages 3 and 8,
- understand basic English,
- willing to ride a horse, no horse riding in the past 3 months.
Exclusion Criteria:
- severe of repeated aggressive behaviour,
- comorbidities such as deafness that would interfere with intervention.
Sites / Locations
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Label
Equine assisted occupational therapy
Arm Description
Intervention was one 40 to 60 minute session per week. Half of the session was spent riding a horse and half was spent doing horse related activities. Children had 9 to 12 sessions
Outcomes
Primary Outcome Measures
Rater coding of engagement
Trained coders rated the proportion of time the child was engaged in the activities
Secondary Outcome Measures
Rater coding of enjoyment
Trained coders rated the number of times the child expressed enjoyment.
Full Information
1. Study Identification
Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT02714101
Brief Title
Equine-assisted Occupational Therapy for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Official Title
Effects of Hippotherapy on the Motivation and Social Interaction/Social Communication of Children With Autism
Study Type
Interventional
2. Study Status
Record Verification Date
March 2016
Overall Recruitment Status
Completed
Study Start Date
June 2012 (undefined)
Primary Completion Date
December 2012 (Actual)
Study Completion Date
September 2013 (Actual)
3. Sponsor/Collaborators
Responsible Party, by Official Title
Sponsor
Name of the Sponsor
University of Alberta
4. Oversight
Data Monitoring Committee
No
5. Study Description
Brief Summary
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder have difficulty engaging in activities. This study examined the effects of equine-assisted occupational therapy for 7 children with ASD ages 4 to 8 years. A multiple baseline design was used. For each child, there were 9 to 11 baseline assessments, 9 to 12 intervention sessions, and 4 follow-up sessions.
Detailed Description
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulty engaging in activities. Based on the literature, the unique features of horses may be beneficial to children with ASD. There is limited research supporting the use of horses in occupational therapy interventions. This study examined the effects of equine-assisted occupational therapy for 7 children with ASD ages 4 to 8 years. A multiple baseline design was used. For each child, there were 9 to 11 baseline assessments (gross and fine motor play activities), 9 to 12 intervention sessions, and 4 follow-up sessions (gross and fine motor play activities). Intervention sessions were 40 to 60 minutes long and consisted of time spent on the horse and in horse related activities. Children were videorecorded in all conditions. Trained coders scored randomly selected segments of the video recording. Inter-rater reliability was good.
6. Conditions and Keywords
Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Autism Spectrum Disorder
7. Study Design
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Not Applicable
Interventional Study Model
Single Group Assignment
Masking
None (Open Label)
Allocation
N/A
Enrollment
8 (Actual)
8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions
Arm Title
Equine assisted occupational therapy
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Intervention was one 40 to 60 minute session per week. Half of the session was spent riding a horse and half was spent doing horse related activities. Children had 9 to 12 sessions
Intervention Type
Other
Intervention Name(s)
Equine assisted occupational therapy
Intervention Description
Intervention was one 40 to 60 minute session per week. Half of the session was spent riding a horse and half was spent doing horse related activities. Children had 9 to 12 sessions
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Rater coding of engagement
Description
Trained coders rated the proportion of time the child was engaged in the activities
Time Frame
One 5 minute segment per session for five months
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Rater coding of enjoyment
Description
Trained coders rated the number of times the child expressed enjoyment.
Time Frame
One 5 minute segment per session for five months
10. Eligibility
Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
3 Years
Maximum Age & Unit of Time
8 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
diagnosis of Autism spectrum disorder by a multidisciplinary team,
between ages 3 and 8,
understand basic English,
willing to ride a horse, no horse riding in the past 3 months.
Exclusion Criteria:
severe of repeated aggressive behaviour,
comorbidities such as deafness that would interfere with intervention.
12. IPD Sharing Statement
Plan to Share IPD
No
Citations:
PubMed Identifier
27767943
Citation
Llambias C, Magill-Evans J, Smith V, Warren S. Equine-Assisted Occupational Therapy: Increasing Engagement for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Am J Occup Ther. 2016 Nov/Dec;70(6):7006220040p1-7006220040p9. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2016.020701.
Results Reference
derived
Learn more about this trial
Equine-assisted Occupational Therapy for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
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