title: Therapeutic Horseback Riding Crossover Effects of Attachment Behaviors with Family Pets in a Sample of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
abstract: The unique needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have implications for animal welfare. This nested pilot study examined the effects of a randomized trial of 10-week therapeutic horseback riding (THR) intervention versus a no-horse barn activity (BA) control group on children's behaviors with family pets. Sixty-seven (THRn= 31; BAn= 36) participants with ASD (ages 6-16 years) with one or more family pet, were enrolled from a larger trial (n= 116) following their randomization to intervention groups, stratified by nonverbal intellectual ability. A consistent caregiver completed questionnaires about participants' interactions with their household pets pre- and post-intervention. Caregivers of THR group participants reported significant improvements in participants' caring actions with the family pet compared with the BA group (p= 0.013; effect size = 0.74). Engaging with horses during a standard THR intervention protocol may generalize to improving caring actions toward family pets in children and adolescents with ASD.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 E. 16th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. jessie.petty@childrenscolorado.org.
authors.forename: Jessie D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Petty
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 E. 16th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. Zhaoxing.pan@childrenscolorado.org.|Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E. 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. Zhaoxing.pan@childrenscolorado.org.
authors.forename: Zhaoxing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 E. 16th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. briar.dechant@childrenscolorado.org.|Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E. 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. briar.dechant@childrenscolorado.org.
authors.forename: Briar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dechant
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 E. 16th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. robin.gabriels@childrenscolorado.org.|Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E. 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. robin.gabriels@childrenscolorado.org.
authors.forename: Robin L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gabriels
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D056147:Equine-Assisted Therapy; D005260:Female; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: animal assisted interventions; autism spectrum disorders; human-animal interactions; pet relationships; therapeutic horseback riding