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A Mixed Methods Investigation of Equine-assisted Occupational Therapy for Children With Autism

NCT03493347 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 8

Last updated 2019-04-12

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often participate in equine-assisted interventions, where practitioners partner with horses to improve the health and well-being of the clients they serve. One of these interventions is equine-assisted occupational therapy (EAOT). The first aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of EAOT at improving the social, behavioral, and occupational functioning of children with ASD. Second, this study aims to conceptually develop the theory of change that guides how horses are integrated into occupational therapy for children with ASD. Eight children with ASD will participate in 10 weeks of EAOT. The quantitative strand will involve caregivers filling out measures of social functioning, self-regulation, and occupational performance on a weekly basis. Investigators hypothesize children will demonstrate improved performance on these measures during the intervention in comparison to baseline. The qualitative strand will consist of interviews with the providing occupational therapists aimed at understanding the theory behind why the intervention is effective. The results of this study will have implications for children with ASD, their families, and occupational therapists providing services to individuals with ASD.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Equine-assisted Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy provided in an equine environment that includes activities such as groundwork, grooming, tacking, mounting, and riding horses

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Colorado State University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Wendy Wood, Ph.D. · Colorado State University

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
5 Years
Max Age
14 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2017-07-24
Primary Completion
2017-12-18
Completion
2018-12-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03493347 on ClinicalTrials.gov