The effect of animal-assisted play activities on autistic behaviors and social engagement in children with autism spectrum disorder: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Interventions involving human-animal interaction have the potential to impact individuals with autism. This study aims to assess the effects of an animal-assisted play activity program on autistic behaviors and social engagement in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A single-group, quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test measurements. The study population consisted of 20 students diagnosed with ASD enrolled at a Special Education Practice School. A cat was included in the intervention as the therapy animal. Data were collected using the Sociodemographic Data Form, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), and the Ingram–Troxell Playground Observation Checklist. The mean score on the CARS increased from 42.6 ± 5.5 to 43.8 ± 5.4 following the animal-assisted play activity intervention. However, this result is not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In contrast, the mean score on the ABC decreased from 55.0 ± 23.2 to 42.7 ± 19.9. This reduction was statistically significant (p < 0.05), indicating a positive behavioral change associated with the intervention. Furthermore, the mean score on the Ingram–Troxell Playground Observation Checklist increased from 5.41 ± 1.59 to 6.59 ± 1.18, and this improvement in social engagement was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The findings suggest that animal-assisted play activities lead to significant improvements in behavioral control and social engagement in children with ASD.