EFFECTS OF EQUINE-ASSISTED THERAPY ON SOCIAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Shiri, Aynaz; Asgari, Parviz; Johari Fard, Reza; Hafezi, Fariba

doi:10.61186/unmf.22.9.799

Volume 22, Issue 9 (12-2024) Nursing and Midwifery Journal 2024, 22(9): 799-810 | Back to browse issues page

‎ 10.61186/unmf.22.9.799

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Shiri A, Asgari P, Johari Fard R, Hafezi F. EFFECTS OF EQUINE-ASSISTED THERAPY ON SOCIAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. Nursing and Midwifery Journal 2024; 22 (9) :799-810
URL: http://unmf.umsu.ac.ir/article-1-5278-en.html

EFFECTS OF EQUINE-ASSISTED THERAPY ON SOCIAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Aynaz Shiri¹

, Parviz Asgari ^*²

, Reza Johari Fard³

, Fariba Hafezi⁴

1- PhD Student of Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children, Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran
2- Professor, Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran , p.askary@iauahvaz.ac.ir
3- Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran
4- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract: (598 Views)

Background & Aim: Impairment in social skills is the most well-known and fundamental characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and remains the most persistent feature from childhood to adulthood. One intervention that can be effective in enhancing the social skills of these patients is equine-assisted therapy (EAT). Equine-assisted therapy refers to the use of horse movements as a therapeutic strategy to improve disorders, functional limitations, and disabilities in patients with neuromuscular-skeletal issues. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of equine-assisted therapy on the social and communication skills of children with autism in Urmia, Iran.
Materials & Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest and follow-up approach. Using convenience sampling, 30 children with autism aged 8 to 12 years were selected from psychological and rehabilitation centers in Urmia based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were randomly assigned to either the intervention (equine-assisted therapy) or control group. The research measurement tools included a demographic information form and the Rimland and Edelson Autism Evaluation Checklist. The intervention group underwent equine-assisted therapy techniques for 15 weekly sessions, each lasting 60 minutes, while the control group received no intervention during this period. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods and SPSS software version 18 at a significance level of 0.05.
Results: The results indicated that the effect of equine-assisted therapy on the social and communication skills of children with autism in the intervention group was statistically significant in the posttest and follow-up stages. Specifically, the mean scores of the two components of social and communication skills increased in the posttest and follow-up stages compared to the pretest stage (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that equine-assisted therapy is effective in improving the social and communication skills of children with autism. Therefore, this method can be used as an effective strategy to enhance the social and communication skills of children on the autism spectrum.

Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Communication Skills, Equine-Assisted Therapy, Social Skills

Full-Text [PDF 480 kb] (183 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: روانپزشکی- روان شناسی

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