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Human-Animal Interactions to Improve Reading for Children With Learning Differences

NCT05235451 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 14

Last updated 2024-04-22

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The overall purpose of this study is to determine feasibility and preliminary efficacy of pet therapy, or human-animal interactions (HAI), for children (5-12 years of age) with or at risk for LD. Children among 4 reading groups will be randomly assigned to a HAI intervention or control group. The 2 HAI intervention reading groups will receive visits from a registered canine team during children's small group reading sessions twice a week over 12 weeks. The 2 control reading groups will receive care as usual and offered a 1-time visit from the dog at the end of the study (after T3 completed). Two weeks of initial work will focus on preliminary modifications to the protocol. Parents will complete electronic measures of psychological outcomes (child depression, anxiety, QOL) via REDCap at baseline (T1), 2 weeks post-baseline (T2), and 12 weeks post-baseline (T3). The investigators will obtain copies of reading assessments already conducted by the teachers at T1 and T3. Children's salivary cortisol will be obtained from participants in the intervention groups at T1, T2, and T3. Children and their parents will complete concluding interviews at study end (T3) to further inform what they liked and did not like about the intervention. Results of the proposed study will provide critical data for a future full-scale randomized clinical trial (R01) to examine the impact of HAI on psychological, physiological, and reading outcomes in children with or at risk for LD.

Conditions

  • Animal-Human Bonding
  • Learning Problem
  • Child Development

Interventions

OTHER

Human-Animal Interactions

Human-animal interactions (HAI) is a powerful and cost-effective strategy to improve reading fluencies and comprehension of children with learning differences. Emerging data suggest that HAI help promote classroom behaviors and learning, including effects on cognition, emotional functioning, and motor skills for children with and without learning differences. The HAI reading group will receive reading instruction as usual plus visits from a registered therapy dog team (dog + animal handler) twice a week over 12 weeks.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Vanderbilt University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Terrah F Akard, PhD · Vanderbilt University

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
5 Years
Max Age
12 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2022-06-20
Primary Completion
2022-07-21
Completion
2022-07-21

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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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 NCT05235451 on ClinicalTrials.gov