LAY ABSTRACT
Parents might have problems in getting support services for their autistic child due to certain barriers. However, there might also be things that can ease or facilitate parents' access to support services. In this study, New Zealand parents were asked about their experiences in getting support services for their autistic child. We also looked at differences in reported barriers and facilitators based on several demographic factors with a focus on family level of financial resourcing. A total of 173 parents completed a survey. The results suggested that parents experienced several barriers, particularly related to service pathways. Facilitators were also experienced, predominantly related to providers. Financial resourcing predicted the number of parent-reported barriers. Both lower level of family financial resourcing and having a non-binary child predicted parents' rating of the extent of barriers. Child age and level of speech were predictors for reports of experiencing a higher number of facilitators, with parents of younger children or of non-speaking autistic children reporting a greater number of facilitators. We discuss how these results may be useful to support service delivery and identify areas for future research.

Parent reported barriers and facilitators to support services for autistic children in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Equine-assisted activities (EAAs) are considered a suitable innovative rehabilitative practice for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While standardized scales have been previously used as a tool to evaluate the effects of EAAs on different domains of functioning in ASD children, few studies have considered an ethological approach as a means to describe human–horse interactions in the context of ASD. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the behavior of 19 children with ASD, in comparison with 19 typically developing children (TD), during EAA sessions. We developed an ethogram from the video recordings to assess spatial relationships, social interactions, and communicative behaviors displayed by the child toward the horse, as well as the occurrence of problem behaviors. Results indicate that children’s behaviors during EAA sessions are modulated by sex and age, while previous children’s experience with EAAs appeared to improve interpersonal distance and horse handling. Results from this study highlight the importance of exploring children’s behavioral responses during animal-assisted activities through direct measurements. This may allow linking the quality/strength of the child–horse relationship to the benefits obtained by the child, particularly in the social/communicative domain, a core symptom of ASD.

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Equine-Assisted Activities (EAAs) for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Positive Effects Revealed Using an Ethological Approach

Many studies focus on the impact of equine assisted services (EAS) on social skills in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but existing data are not consensual and the only available meta-analysis included only three studies and did not consider the social responsiveness scale (SRS). This meta-analysis aims to measure the impact of EAS on social skills in ASD. Using Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library, the means and standard deviations of every available SRS post-intervention scores in each participant group were collected from the five selected randomised controlled trials with 240 participants. An EAS significant beneficial impact was found for the total SRS score, social communication and social cognition. A tendency to a significant impact was found for social awareness and social motivation. No significant difference was shown for autistic mannerisms. This meta-analysis shows a significant beneficial impact of EAS for several social skills in ASD. Further randomised controlled trials are required to complement these results and expand the knowledge on the field of possibilities of this care in ASD. 

Equine assisted services impact on social skills in autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis

Introduction: Autism is defined as difficulties in relating and communicating with other people and repetitive, specific behaviors. It is a developmental disorder, manifested before the age of 3. Increasingly, parents' awareness is resulting in reaching for a variety of therapies to help children on the spectrum develop properly. The interdisciplinary method that is hippotherapy stimulates physical and mental contact with the horse. Therefore, it can be assumed that this is a method that significantly helps the development and such children.
Aim of the study: Compile publicly available studies and publications and determine whether hippotherapy has a beneficial effect on the development of children with autism.
Materials and methods: A review of publications and studies available on Google Scholar and PubMed was made, using the phrases "autism" ; autism hippotherapy" ; "development of children with autism " ; "hippotherapy".
Results: The higher standard of living nowadays and the deeper interest in the methods available for the therapy of children with ASD, allows parents to reach for non-standard solutions such as hippotherapy. Demonstrating the positive impact of activities with horses is the subject of many scientific studies. Studies conducted allow us to believe that, it has a beneficial effect on the development of people on the spectrum, through stimulation in the emotional, physical and social areas. Based on a review of the literature for the purpose of this article, it can be concluded that hippotherapy has a positive effect as an accompaniment to therapy for children with autism.
Conclusion: Pharmacological treatment is the easiest way to deal with the symptoms of autism, but does not eliminate social deficits and emotional disorders. A number of therapies have emerged to help children on the spectrum develop: art therapy, Biofeedback, Brain Gymnastics, Logorytime . Incorporating hippotherapy into the child's treatment process allows the therapy to be complementary on many levels. Many studies have emerged confirming the positive impact on the development of a child on the spectrum, but there is no golden mean to cure this type of disorder.

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Hippotherapy as an accompaniment to therapy in children with autism

The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of animal-assisted interventions on social functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder, based on evidence from randomized control trials. Included studies were articles published in English, with school aged children from 4 to 18 years with autism spectrum disorder. Databases searched were MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL and Zoological Record. Data extraction from included studies included demographics and sample features, interventions and controls descriptions, outcome measures, study funding and descriptive statistics. Risk of bias was assessed, considering randomization, allocation concealment, blinding, attrition, selective reporting and other sources of bias. Studies were synthesized narratively based on the animal approach taken and the use of waitlist versus active controls. Nine studies were included reporting across eight trials. Studies overall reported improvements in social functioning following equine-assisted services, with preliminary evidence suggesting improvements are sustained in the short and medium term. Insufficient evidence was available to draw conclusions on the efficacy of other animal-assisted interventions. Future research should aim to address the limitations common to included designs. Lay abstract Children with autism typically experience difficulties interacting socially with others when compared to their non-autistic peers. Establishing how effective interventions are for improving social functioning is important to help inform what should be offered to children with autism. This study reviewed how effective interventions that involved interaction with a live animal, known as animal-assisted interventions, are in improving social functioning in children with autism. A systematic search of the evidence on this topic found nine studies, which were explored for the effectiveness of animal-assisted interventions and the quality of methods used. Overall, these studies showed improvements in social functioning following equine-assisted or therapeutic horse-riding interventions, with initial evidence showing improvements are sustained in the short and medium term. However, several issues were identified, which limit the strength of any conclusions that can be drawn from this evidence. For example, in many studies people assessing the children were aware that they received the intervention or were in a control group. There was also not enough evidence available to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of other animal-assisted interventions. Future research should address the limitations that were common in the designs of these studies and investigate the potential benefit of other animal populations, such as dogs and cats.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/13623613221085338

Naomi Skotny

Papers

Calm with horses? A systematic review of animal-assisted interventions for improving social functioning in children with autism