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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02714101

Equine-assisted Occupational Therapy for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Mental Disorders Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Age range

3 year–8 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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.

Treatment and study plan

Equine assisted occupational therapy

Other

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 outcomes

  1. Rater coding of engagement

    Time frame: One 5 minute segment per session for five months

    Trained coders rated the proportion of time the child was engaged in the activities

Secondary outcomes

  1. Rater coding of enjoyment

    Time frame: One 5 minute segment per session for five months

    Trained coders rated the number of times the child expressed enjoyment.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Alberta

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of Hippotherapy on the Motivation and Social Interaction/Social Communication of Children With Autism

Important dates

Study start
2012
Primary completion
2012
Study completion
2013
First posted
Mar 21, 2016
Registry last updated
Mar 21, 2016

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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