Abstract
Research has indicated beneficial effects of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) for children with Autism. However, there is a dearth of meta-analyses and findings are often contradictory. The current meta-analysis assesses the effectiveness of AAIs on social interaction, communication and global Autism symptoms. A total of 1447 studies were returned, of which 16 (n = 489) met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analyses indicated small effect sizes related to improvements in social interaction and communication and reduction in Autism Spectrum Disorder symptoms. Additionally, there was little evidence for a relationship between dosage and effect size. In conclusion, AAIs appear to offer small improvements in social interaction and communication for children with Autism, which may be comparable to activities used in active control conditions.
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All searches were conducted by the first author (MD). Selection of articles was completed by both authors and the second author (TD) contacted researchers when data clarifications were required. A data collection spreadsheet was developed by the second author (TD) who also extracted the data required for the meta-analysis calculations. The participant information and design data were extracted by both authors separately to reduce likelihood of bias. Risk of bias of the studies was assessed by two raters independently (both authors). Any coding discrepancies were discussed with reference to the relevant study until a consensus was reached.
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Dimolareva, M., Dunn, T.J. Animal-Assisted Interventions for School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 2436–2449 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04715-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04715-w