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Review journal of autism and developmental disorders2018; 5(2); 156-175; doi: 10.1007/s40489-018-0130-z

Effects of Equine Therapy on Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.

Abstract: Literature on effects of equine therapy in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has grown in recent times. Equine therapy is an alternative multimodal intervention that involves utilizing a horse to enhance core impairments in ASD. Recent systematic reviews in this area have several limitations including inclusion of populations other than ASD, assessment of a variety of animal-assisted interventions other than equine therapy, and a failure to conduct quantitative analyses to provide accurate effect size estimates. We conducted a focused systematic review to address these limitations. Our review suggested that equine therapy has beneficial effects on behavioral skills and to some extent on social communication in ASD. The evidence for positive effects of equine therapy on perceptuo-motor, cognitive, and functional skills is currently limited.
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Publication Date: 2018-02-20 PubMed ID: 30319932PubMed Central: PMC6178825DOI: 10.1007/s40489-018-0130-zGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study is a focused review of existing research on the impact of equine therapy, a treatment method involving horses, on individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study identifies that equine therapy offers potential benefits in terms of behavioural skills and social communication.

Introduction

  • The study examined the effects of equine therapy on individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
  • Equine therapy is described as an alternative intervention that uses horses to address and enhance key impairments related to ASD.

Context

  • This systematic review was conducted as a response to the limitations identified in recent reviews on the same topic.
  • Such limitations include inclusion of subjects outside the ASD sphere, examination of diverse animal-assisted interventions besides equine therapy, and failure to conduct quantitative analyses which gives clear estimates of the effect sizes.

Purpose and Methods

  • The purpose of the current review was to overcome these limitations by focusing exclusively on evidence related to ASD patients and equine therapy.
  • The process of the research entailed conducting a focused systematic review using rigorous methodologies to examine available literature and studies.

Results

  • The review indicated that equine therapy has beneficial effects on the behavioral skills of ASD patients. To a lesser extent, equine therapy also has positive effects on social communication in this population.
  • However, the research also concludes that currently, evidence for the benefits of equine therapy on perceptuo-motor, cognitive, and functional skills in ASD patients is limited.

Implications

  • The findings suggest that equine therapy can potentially be an effective tool in managing ASD, particularly in improving behavioral skills and social communication.
  • However, further research is required to establish the effects of equine therapy on other facets such as perceptuo-motor, cognitive, and functional skills in individuals with ASD.

Cite This Article

APA
Srinivasan SM, Cavagnino DT, Bhat AN. (2018). Effects of Equine Therapy on Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Rev J Autism Dev Disord, 5(2), 156-175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-018-0130-z

Publication

Review journal of autism and developmental disorders
ISSN: 2195-7185
NlmUniqueID: 101711616
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 5
Issue: 2
Pages: 156-175

Researcher Affiliations

Srinivasan, Sudha M
  • IDC School of Design, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India.
Cavagnino, David T
  • Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE.
Bhat, Anjana N
  • Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE.
  • Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 540 S College Ave., Newark, DE, 19713.

Grant Funding

  • S10 OD021534 / NIH HHS
  • R03 HD060809 / NICHD NIH HHS
  • R21 MH089441 / NIMH NIH HHS
  • U54 GM104941 / NIGMS NIH HHS
  • R33 MH089441 / NIMH NIH HHS

Conflict of Interest Statement

Conflict of Interest Statement: On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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