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Abstract
The purpose of the following research was to evaluate Animal Assisted Therapy effects on
children with mental disabilities socially and physically. Evaluation of pain, the cardiovascular
system, gross motor skills, and social behaviors was done through the collection of qualitative
and quantitative research data located in 8 articles. In every case, there was significant
improvement in the area being studied for effects of Animal Assisted Therapy. Interactions with
the animals varied from only a few minutes, to weekly hour-long sessions over the course of
several months. Every time, there was a prove decrease in the dependent variable being
evaluated. Overall, Animal Assisted Therapy proved every time to be a positive therapy for
Disabilities?
Every day more and more children are being born with and acquiring mental illnesses and
disabilities. Kids with mental illnesses and disabilities tend to have poor mental, physical, and
social skills. This in exchange becomes very stressful for not only the children, but the childrens
parents and families. Many of these children need full on 24hr care to do everyday tasks. As well
as having poor mental, physical and social skills these children are sometimes in great pain. In
todays medical practice there are many medications available for these children and also various
types of verbal, stimulation, motor, and physical therapy measures. From child to child different
therapy measures work in different ways and some do not work as well as others leaving the
parents feeling like there is not much they can do to help their child to progress any further,
Therefore, the following research question was addressed: What are the Social and Physical
Literature Review
Introduction
In order to address this issue, information was required via OhioLINK databases,
specifically CINHAL Plus and MEDLINE. Eight sources were reviewed for comprehensive data
collection regarding ways animal assisted therapy can have a positive effect on children with
mental illnesses and disabilities. Social skills, pain and physiological effects on children with
It is very common that children with mental disabilities are at a significant high risk of
pain while performing daily care activities. Animal assisted therapy is on the rise in an attempt to
try and alleviate some of the everyday pain that these children are enduring. According to Lima,
M., Silva, K., Amarel, I., Magalhaes, A., & Sousa, L. (2012), an exploratory study was
conducted to assess the pain relief induced by contact with the therapy animal immediately after
the child experience a painful activity. The study measured behaviors to determine patient pain
such as smiling, frowning, grimacing, moaning, crying and heart rate. The therapy animal was
placed in each child's line of view within touching reach. After each painful situation the child
had the opportunity to touch and stare at the animal. It may be the animals cute and cuddly
effect but the animals presence actually produced behaviors such as smiling and decreased heart
rate. The children reacted positively to the animals being present. The behaviors produced by the
children after stimulation, and the presence of the therapy animal, closely related to the same
change in behaviors produced by the comfort of the child's mother. In some situations the
therapy animal actually brought on more positive behavior than the childs mother did. The study
showed that contact with the therapy dog brought about consistent behavior and cardiovascular
changes that point to an apparent decrease in pain level(Lima, M., Silva, K., Amarel, I.,
Magalhaes, A., & Sousa, L. (2012). When discussing pain in children with mental disabilities it
is hard to determine when and how much pain these children are actually in. Many of the
children are unable to express their pain levels due to their inability to verbalize feelings. That is
why this study focused on behaviors and the knowledge of the people who know them best, their
parents. The study is one of the first attempts to show the potential of therapy dogs being used as
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an effective intervention for managing pain in children with mental illnesses and disorders
(Lima, M., Silva, K., Amarel, I., Magalhaes, A., & Sousa, L. (2012).
Cardiovascular System
Animal-assisted therapy has been used and benefits pediatric patients in more than one
way. Studies have shown that it reduces anxiety, fear and has a positive physiological effect on
the patients. One specific study researched the physiological effect aiming at the cardiovascular
system in the children. Research has shown that animal-assisted therapy can decrease fear,
anxiety, heart rate, and blood pressure (Friedmann, Thomas, Tsai, 2010, p. 246). One factor that
can alter the findings related to this intervention have to do with the fact that while interacting
with the animal, the child naturally may have an increased heart rate or blood pressure from
simply talking to the dog, being excited, or performing any physical activity with the animal. To
reduce the chance of this interfering with results, the researcher in this specific study made sure
to baseline the blood pressure and make sure to get readings after the intervention to see if it had
a positive effect on the cardiovascular system as predicted. The sample population being
evaluated included fifteen children whose ages ranged from seven to seventeen years old.
Before the study, the researcher got a baseline blood pressure for the child with the cuff
that was specifically used to fit. During the study, the researcher hooked the child up to a blood
pressure cuff that automatically took the blood pressure and heart rate every two minutes with
the session only being six to ten minutes long (Friedmann, Thomas, Tsia, 2010, p. 241). During
the intervention, the child was allowed to touch, pet, and brush the dog. After reviewing and
analyzing the results of this study, it showed that the physiological factors being measured did, in
fact, decrease. The systolic blood pressure decreased from pre-therapy to post-therapy with the
animal (Friedmann, Thomas, Tsai, 2010, p. 250). As hypothesized by researchers, the heart rate
Running Head: EFFECTS OF ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY
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and diastolic blood pressure during interventions did slightly rise. Researchers did conclude that
this is, likely due to the physical activity and communication involved in interacting with the do
and researcher. Previous studies document that when people talk, BP and HR increase from 10
to 50%; it is only natural for people to talk to dogs while they are interacting with them
The overall hypothesis was supported and concluded in the study, physiologically and
psychologically. In general, it may be accepted that hospitalized children who interact with a
dog may benefit from improved physical and psychological health experiences. Therefore, this
study lends some support to the therapeutic benefit of animal-assisted therapy (Friedmann,
During a recent study, a group of researchers hypothesized and confirmed that there were
moderate to large gains in body coordination, strength and agility, and overall gross motor skills
Hawkins, Ryan, 2014, p.135). Many children who suffer from illnesses, chronic or acute, benefit
from therapeutic interventions. During our research, we have discovered that animal-assisted
therapy is becoming therapeutic for children emotionally and physically and helping them to
advance within their illnesses. The study related to the equine-assisted therapy intervention
correlated children with Autism Spectrum Disorder whom show a deficit in gross motor skills
(Cory, Donaldson, Hawkins, Ryan, 2014, p.135). In order to test the predicted outcome of the
horse therapy related to Autism, researchers have found many ways to measure and evaluate
participants before and after including a test called the BOT2 Test (Cory, Donaldson, Hawkins,
Ryan, 2014, p. 138). Many children whom lack in gross motor skills have weak coordination,
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strength, and agility. When children interact with different types of animals and have tasks to
perform and interests in these animals, you could imagine the focus and determination they may
exhibit. Animal intervention is appropriate for people of all ages but most effective and
The researchers and equine professionals guided the participants while working on leg
placement while riding the horse, catching and throwing balls, Frisbees, and using foam swords
to spear (Cory, Donaldson, Hawkins, Ryan, 2014, p. 140). Not only did this improve gross
motor skills, but there are many other benefits to equine therapy. This type of therapy can help
with social interaction, confidence, and increasing brain activity. Researchers re-evaluated and
used the BOT2 after sixteen sessions of therapy, and the results were determined. Values of
90% or greater indicate highly effective interventions, 70% to 89% represents moderate or fair
effects, 50% to 69% indicates mild or questionable effects, and below 50% is considered to be an
ineffective treatment (Cory, Donaldson, Hawkins, Ryan, 2014, p. 141). There were two
participants in the study with recorded results. The first participants score was 90%, which
according to previous studies, this concludes that the equine-assisted therapy was highly
effective in increasing the participants gross motor skills. The second participants score was
100%, which also indicated that the intervention was highly effective in improving the
There have been many studies done that compare the interaction of children with animal
therapy, specifically equine therapy. As it was proved in this study, the interaction can most
definitely cause an increase in gross motor skills for children who suffer from any sort of deficit;
it of course is not going to cure any deficit, but these studies have shown positive benefits related
to this intervention.
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Social Behavior
In the case of producing positive behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
(ASD), the presence of a dog has helped tremendously. According to a study done by Silva,
Correia, Lima, Magalhaes, and de Sousa (2011), the presence of a dog in therapy sessions (Tdog
sessions) with a twelve year old boy allowed the boy to produce more positive social behaviors,
such as affection toward the dog and the therapist, including hugs and kisses, play, visual contact,
and smiling, which are all behaviors that autistic children have trouble producing at any given
time. This specific child has had a history of delayed onset of speech, obsessions with
newspapers and magazines, and crippling anxiety. The boy was able to participate in organized
games with the therapist as well as look directly into the eyes of the therapist without reverting to
any of his usual negative, autism-induced behaviors. Results showed that all of these positive
behaviors occurred far more frequently during the sessions with the dog than the sessions
without the dog (T sessions). The child also exhibited far fewer instances of negative behaviors
in the presence of the dog, such as causing pain and physical harm to the therapist, causing
damage to inanimate objects, using harsh words and expressions as acts of intimidation, and
aggressively grabbing magazines. The boy did not seem emotionally unattached at all during the
sessions with the dog, however, during the sessions without the dog, the child was more self-
absorbed and did not want to participate in the most of the activities that the therapist had to
offer. He also produced multiple, repetitive acts of smelling things in the session when the dog
was not present. On the same hand, the frequency and duration of grabbing behavior were
According to Grigore and Rusu (2014), a therapy dog present in therapy sessions with
three preschool children, Catalin, Nicu, and Georgia, helped with their ability to greet a social
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partner and the ability to introduce oneself to a social partner after reading a social story. For all
three children, in the presence of a therapy dog, less prompt to initiate social interactions was
needed for the children to interact with each other, but only one out of three children showed a
large increase in the frequency of appropriate social interactions such as hugging, smiling, and
laughing. The other two had positive outcomes, just not as significant as the first. All three
children showed statistically significant increases in the frequency of the social initiations in the
presence of the therapy dog (257). It can be concluded from these two articles that canine-
assisted therapy is definitely beneficial to autistic children who are struggling to socially
develop. More investigation should be made into this area of development for autistic children
Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT) and Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) have also begun
being analyzed more to show benefits in the improvement of social skills in children diagnosed
on any part of the ASD. A study done by Lanning, Matyastik Baier, Ivey-Hatz, Krenek, and
Tubbs (2014), took 25 children with a physician or therapist diagnosis of ASD and analyzed the
effects of a 12-week EAA program on the childs social behaviors. 13 of the 25 children
participated in hour-long EAA sessions once a week over the course of 12 weeks (intervention
group) The remaining children, 12 of the 25 children, participated in social circles over the same
12-week period, in one hour sessions once a week (comparison group) (Lanning, Matyastik
Baier, Ivey-Hatz, Krenek, and Tubbs, 2014, p. 1898). All 25 children were evaluated 6 months
prior to the start of the therapies to formulate a baseline assessment for comparison post-therapy.
Qualitative data was collected five times using two instruments: the Pediatric Quality of
quality of life (HRQOL) in healthy children and adolescents and those with acute
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and chronic health conditions, and the Child Health Questionnarie (CHQ), which
measures 14 unique physical and psychosocial concepts (Lanning, Matyastik Baier, Ivey-Hatz,
Researchers were looking for many improved social behaviors including: improving manners,
keeping eye contact, making friends, being a friend, taking turns, showing empathy and
sympathy. During the EAA sessions, children were taught horsemanship skills such as
grooming, leading and walking with the horse, and also riding the horse (2014). After the 12
week program, positive treatment effects were most noted in the areas of social functioning,
physical functioning, school functioning, and overall mental health and behavior (Lanning,
Matyastik Baier, Ivey-Hatz, Krenek, and Tubbs, 2014, p. 1904). Overall, this study, if nothing
else, added to the currently growing interested in EAA and EAT and their positive effects on
Another study on EAA and children with ASD evaluated Childhood Autism Rating Scale
(CARS) and Timberlawn Parent-Child Interaction Scores as a result of a 6 months EAA program
(Kern et al. 2011, p. 14). 24 participants completed both a 3 to 6 month waitlist, were a baseline
assessment was developed, and a 6 month EAA program. The study took place in Corinth, Texas
at the SpiritHorse riding program, where participants meant once a week for hour long sessions
over the course of 6 months. In these sessions the children performed tasks such as leading,
grooming, and tacking responsibilities. This, in turn, helped the child develop relationships with
not only the horse but also the trainer, helped relationship building and bonding skills, and gave
the child a sense of responsibility to their pet horse (Kern et al. 2011, p. 16).
On evaluation of results from this study, CARS scores decreased both at the 3 and 6
month period. Not all subscales of the Timberlawn Parent-Child Interaction Scale showed large
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changes, however there was a significant improvement shown in both subscales of Mood and
Tone and Negative Regard over the 3 and 6 month period (2011, p. 18). Equine Assisted
Therapies are certainly an area of Animal Assisted Therapies that is showing improvement in
social skills of child with ASD and should be more closely studied in the future.
Guinea Pigs introduced into the classroom setting also were shown to help improve social
behaviors of children with ASD. 64 children between the ages of 5 and 12, in 41 different
classrooms spread across 15 different schools were evaluated (OHaire, McKenzie, McCune, and
Slaughter, 2014, p. 163). Social approach behaviors, social withdrawal behaviors, and social
skills were all evaluated over the course of the program. On conclusion of the study, there was a
significant improvement in the social behaviors viewed over the duration of the study. There
was also an increase in the desire to attend school by the children (OHaire, McKenzie, McCune,
and Slaughter, 2014, p. 166). It is clear that even the smallest of animal can significantly help
Conclusion
When evaluated, the effects of Animal Assisted Therapies (AAT) over both the physical
and social realms of children with mental disabilities, there is a clear improvement in all areas.
Studies have defined that the effects of AAT have been shown to lower pain, decreased effects on
the cardiovascular system, improve gross motor skills, and improve social and behavioral skills.
AAT is proven to be a positive alternative therapy for these children with ASD. More research
and understanding of the field needs to be done, but there is a more evident acceptance forming
References
Cory, A., Donaldson, M., Hawkins, B., & Ryan, J.(2014). Effects of Equine-Assisted Therapy on
Running Head: EFFECTS OF ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY
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Gross Motor Skills of Two Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.Theraputic
Friedmann, E., Thomas, S., & Tsai, C.(2010).The Effect of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Stress
Grigore, A. A., & Rusu, A. S. (2014). Interaction with a Therapy Dog Enhances the Effects of
Kern, J. K., PhD, Fletcher, C. L., Garver, C. R., PhD, Mehta, J. A., PhD, Grannemann, B. D.,
MA, Knox, K. R., MHA, Trivedi, M. H., MD. (2011). Prospective Trial of Equine-
Lanning, B. A., Matyastik Baier, M. E., Ivey-Hatz, J., Krenek, N., & Tubbs, J. D. (2014). Effects
Lima, M., Silva, K., Amarel, I., Magalhaes, A., & Sousa, L. (2012). Can You Help When It
Hurts? Dogs as Potential Pain Relief Stimuli for Children with Profound Intellectual and
O'Haire, M. E., BA, McKenzie, S. J., PhD, McCune, S., PhD, & Slaughter, V., PhD. (2014).
(2011). Can Dogs Prime Autistic Children for Therapy? Evidence from a Single Case