Discipline of Occupational Therapy, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW, 2141, Australia.
Occupational Therapist, Assistance Dogs Australia, Engadine, Sydney, Australia.
J Autism Dev Disord. 2020 Dec;50(12):4492-4503. doi: 10.1007/s10803-020-04512-5.
Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is an intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study explores parent perspectives of the impact of five AAT sessions involving trained dogs with their children with ASD. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used to explore first-hand perspectives of parents. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Seventeen parents reported that the presence of the dogs facilitated their children's engagement, enjoyment, and motivation. Parents also reported that this contributed to gains in the child's communication with others and the dog (n = 11, 64.7%), behavioral regulation (n = 12, 70.6%), and community participation (n = 14, 82.3%). These findings indicate that parents supported the use of AAT and that dogs facilitated therapeutic gains.
动物辅助治疗（AAT）是一种针对自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童的干预措施。本研究探讨了家长对五节涉及经过训练的狗与他们的 ASD 儿童的 AAT 课程的影响的看法。采用现象学定性方法来探索家长的第一手观点。进行了深入的半结构化访谈。使用主题分析对数据进行分析。17 位家长报告说，狗的存在促进了他们孩子的参与度、享受度和积极性。家长们还报告说，这有助于孩子与他人和狗（n=11，64.7%）、行为调节（n=12，70.6%）以及社区参与（n=14，82.3%）的沟通能力提高。这些发现表明，家长支持 AAT 的使用，并且狗有助于治疗效果的提高。
