Turning the Page for Spot: The Potential of Therapy Dogs to Support Reading Motivation Among Young Children

ABSTRACT

This study investigated whether dogs might facilitate a context conducive to reading for children when they are faced with a challenging reading passage. A within-subjects design was used to assess children’s motivation to read in two conditions: with a therapy dog and without a therapy dog. Seventeen children (8 girls; 9 boys) in Grades 1 to 3 (aged 6–8 years) and their parents participated in this study. Results of a multivariate repeated-measures ANOVA with two levels suggested that the presence of a therapy dog positively impacted children’s reading motivation and persistence when they were faced with the task of reading a challenging passage. Specifically, children confirmed feeling significantly more interested and more competent when reading in the presence (versus absence) of a therapy dog. Additionally, participants spent significantly more time reading in the presence of the therapy dog than when they read without the therapy dog present. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to use a within-subjects design to explore children’s reading motivation and reading persistence during a canine-assisted reading task. Moreover, as canine-assisted reading interventions assume that the reading context is one that may present a challenge, this research is unique because the reading passages were carefully selected and assigned to each participant to ensure that each child was provided with a challenging reading task. This research holds implications for the development of a gold-standard canine-assisted intervention for young struggling readers.     

The Effect of an Animal-Assisted Intervention on Anxiety and Pain in Hospitalized Children

ABSTRACT

Forty children between the ages of 8 and 18 years, who were admitted to a hospital pediatric unit, were randomly assigned to an animal-assisted intervention (AAI) or an active control condition (working on an age-appropriate jigsaw puzzle). Ratings of pain and anxiety were taken both pre- and post-condition. The attachment Questionnaire and Family Life Space Diagram (FLSD) also were administered, and information on medications taken was recorded. A significant post-condition difference was found between groups for anxiety, with the aaI group having lower anxiety scores. However, no significant within- or between-group pre-post changes in either pain or anxiety were detected. Nearly two-thirds of the children (64%) reporting pain at baseline were receiving some type of analgesic, which may have influenced outcomes. Findings demonstrate some support that attachment may be a moderating variable: children with a secure attachment style reported lower pain and anxiety at baseline, with large effect sizes for differences in both anxiety (g = 1.34) and pain (g = 1.23). Although the aaI did not significantly reduce anxiety and pain in these hospitalized children, further investigation of the influence of analgesic use and the moderating effect of attachment style is indicated.     

The Presence of a Therapy Dog Results in Improved Object Recognition Performance in Preschool Children

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the presence of a dog would have an impact on object recognition memory performance of preschool children. This work represents an extension of previous research which found that preschoolers require fewer instructional prompts to complete this type of memory task when in the presence of a dog. If children require fewer instructional prompts it is possible that they are better able to focus on the task itself and as a result, improved memory performance is likely. Because the earlier experiment utilized a very simple version of the task that was readily completed by the preschool children, the overall performance data were at ceiling. The current study, involving 20 preschool children, included a manipulation of task difficulty through varying the number of distracters (one versus four) present at test. Increasing the number of distractors in a simple recognition task is known to make that task more challenging, and thus performance was expected to be slower and less accurate in the four distracter conditions relative to the one-distracter conditions. The collaborators in the study were either a therapy dog or a human. A two-way repeated measures design was used such that each child served as his/her own control and was tested in each of four separate conditions: dog present (one and four distracters) and human present (one and four distracters). The results showed that the preschool children performed the object recognition task faster and more accurately in the presence of the therapy dog relative to a human and also in the one-distracter versus four-distracter condition. The authors conclude that these effects result from increased focus and/or motivation resulting from the presence of the dog.     

Animal-assisted Social Skills Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Recent research indicates that youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show increases in prosocial behaviors in the presence of animals, yet few studies have examined the effects of incorporating animals into treatments. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of an animal-assisted social skills training group for youth with ASD. It was hypothesized that incorporating dogs into social skills training (SST) would produce a greater effect on improving social skills, theory of mind, and feelings of inclusion than would be obtained from SST without an animal present. We compared social skills groups with therapy dogs to traditional social skills groups without an animal present. Students with ASD attending school at a therapeutic treatment facility (n = 31; ages 8–14) were assigned to either experimental or control groups, which were both provided with 12 weeks of weekly treatment. Following participation in SST, participants in the groups with dogs were rated as significantly less symptomatic than participants in the traditional social skills group on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2), a teacher-rated measure of autism-related symptoms. Based on self-report ratings using the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI-2), participants in the groups with dogs experienced significantly greater reductions in symptoms measured by the Interpersonal Problems and Functional Problems subscales, and not on the other subscales of the CDI-2. Both groups showed improvement in theory of mind and decreased feelings of isolation and overall depressive symptoms; however, the effect of group on change over time was not significant. On the Social Language Development Test (SLDT), no significant differences were observed. The current findings indicate animal-assisted social skills training may be more beneficial for improving social skills and reducing related affective symptoms than traditional training models.     

News & Analyses

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine preschoolers' (n = 11) ability to follow instructions in the presence or absence of a real dog while executing a variety of motor skills tasks. These tasks were divided into one of three general classifications: 1) Modeling Tasks: the children were asked to emulate the behavior of a model, 2) Competition Tasks: the children were asked to do the task faster than a competitor, and 3) Tandem Tasks: the children were asked to do the tasks at the same time as a co-performer. Typical and Identified (language impaired) preschool children were randomly assigned to perform five tasks of each general classification alone, with a human, with a real dog, and with a stuffed dog that was similar in size and appearance to the live dog. Two independent raters rated each child's adherence to instructions (interrater reliability = 0.99) on a 7-point scale. A significant interaction between task classification and type of co-performer revealed that in the Modeling Tasks the preschoolers adhered better to the instructions when the real dog was present relative to the other conditions. In the Tandem Tasks the children adhered to instructions best when they performed the task with a human, followed by the stuffed dog (as manipulated by a human), the real dog, and worst when they were asked to perform the tasks alone. The type of co-performer made no significant difference in the Competition Tasks. These results indicate the presence of a real dog tends to be beneficial for promoting preschoolers' compliance with instructions in motor skills tasks that require modeling behavior, but not in those tasks that stress competition or those performed in tandem.     

A Randomized Cross-over Exploratory Study of the Effect of Visiting Therapy Dogs on College Student Stress Before Final Exams

This exploratory study investigated the effect of visiting therapy dogs on college-student perceived and physiological stress the week prior to final exams. Students (n = 78) were randomly assigned to order of a therapydog intervention and attention-control condition, each 15 minutes long. Students completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), a stress visual analog scale (SVAS), and provided saliva for measuring nerve growth factor (sNGF) and alpha amylase (sAA), prior to randomization. Saliva samples and SVAS were again collected after each condition. There was no effect of group order on demographics, PSS, or initial SVAS. Repeated measures models were used to analyze the complete data sets of 57 students. There were no significant differences in sAA between or within students completing the intervention and control conditions. sNGF was not subjected to analysis as most levels were undetectable. Significant differences in SVAS scores were found between the intervention and control condition, with large effect sizes. SVAS scores were lower following the intervention, regardless of condition order (intervention first, p = 0.0001, d = 1.87; intervention second, p = 0.0004, d = 1.63). No SVAS differences were found for the control condition. Based on these findings, campus events with visiting therapy dogs represent a costeffective, easily accessible activity to reduce perceived, but not physiological, stress for college students prior to final exams.     

The Effect of Therapy Dogs on Exam Stress and Memory

Therapy dogs have been shown in many different situations to reduce stress and improve outcomes, but their effects on academic performance are unknown. I hypothesized that interaction with therapy dogs prior to exams would reduce stress in students and improve exam scores. In study 1, participants who chose to interact with the therapy dogs showed a significantly larger stress decrease and scored 5.5 points higher on their final exam than those who did not interact. In study 2, investigating memory retrieval, participants assigned to interact with therapy dogs immediately prior to their final exam showed a marginally larger stress reduction, but no difference in exam score, compared with those who watched a movie about dogs. To investigate memory consolidation, in study 3, participants were assigned to interact with therapy dogs or watch a movie immediately after learning some material. A significant interaction between condition and exam question type suggests that, compared with those who watched a movie about dogs, interacting with therapy dogs impaired memory for material learned just prior to the manipulation, but enhanced memory for material encountered at other times. Overall, interaction with therapy dogs appears to reduce stress, but had no effect on memory retrieval in study 2, and differentially affected memory consolidation of associated material in study 3.     

Methodological issues in studying the anxiety-reducing effects of animals: Reflections from a pediatric dental study

Abstract

This article reports observations made during a study investigating the role of a therapy dog in reducing anxiety in urban children visiting the dentist. The design and execution of the study were affected by methodological issues such as the reaction of urban children to the dog in the clinic, the tools used to measure anxiety in the children, the age and pet-ownership status of the children, and the personality of the therapy dog. Suggestions made for researchers designing similar studies include allowing children to become comfortable with the therapy dog before beginning formal data collection, working with younger children who have made fewer visits to the dentist, and using or developing more accurate tools for measuring behavioral and physiological anxiety.     

Dogs as an Adjunct to Therapy: Effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Rehabilitation Following Spinal Cord Injury

ABSTRACT

Approximately 17,000 new cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) are reported annually in the United States. Rehabilitation from SCI involves substantial mental, emotional, and physical challenges. Using a randomized controlled trial design, we assessed the efficacy of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) as an aid in rehabilitation following a SCI. We hypothesized that patients with SCI undergoing rehabilitation occupational therapy with AAT would demonstrate greater positive shifts in mood and outlook, reduced pain, and reduced stress compared with patients exposed to the same rehabilitation therapy but without AAT. Over four sessions of occupational therapy, 31 patients completed standard rehabilitation activities (control group) or rehabilitation activities integrating an animal therapy team (treatment group). Patients completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) at each session, had salivary cortisol sampled at the second session, and completed the Brief Pain Inventory at study baseline and exit. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVAs and t-tests. The results revealed a small but significant effect of animal-assisted therapy on self-reported negative affect. Findings for group differences on positive affect, stress, and pain unpleasantness were null, although non-significant findings were in the hypothesized direction for several variables and yielded small effect sizes. Continued research is needed on the influence of AAT on mood improvement, stress reduction, and ultimately improved physical health outcomes during rehabilitation after SCI.     

The Effect of Dolphin-Assisted Therapy on the Cognitive and Social Development of Children with Down Syndrome

Cognitive and speech development are delayed in children with Down syndrome (DS). We investigated the effect of dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT), a form of animal-assisted intervention, on the development of speech/language and social behavior in children with DS. We hypothesized that DAT would improve the social and cognitive functions with respect to verbalization and thereby promote task performance. A semi-crossover design was used to study 45 children with DS: 18 received a weekly one-hour session of DAT for 6 weeks (group A), 12 children (group B) started with swimming pool sessions (control period of 6 weeks) and thereafter received DAT, and 17 children (group C) were put on a waiting list (control period of 6 weeks) before receiving DAT. The parameters “verbalization,” “impulsiveness,” “proper understanding of rules,” “recognition of persons,” and “establishing contacts” were measured using the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with Severe Retardation (MESSIER) before and after DAT, as well as before and after each of the control periods. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant changes for any of the variables during the control periods (swimming pool, waiting list). Following the period of DAT there was a significant improvement in “verbalization” and “recognition of persons,” while “impulsiveness” decreased. No significant changes were found for the other parameters. “Verbalization” continued to increase during the follow-up period of 6 months, while “recognition of persons” slightly decreased. The results of this study provide support for our hypothesis. Through improvements in verbalization and the recognition of persons, the execution of tasks among children with DS receiving DAT improved. Additional studies are needed to determine if these positive effects of DAT are long-term.     

Acceptability of Animal-Assisted Therapy: Attitudes toward AAT,Psychotherapy, and Medication for the Treatment of Child Disruptive Behavioral Problems

Animal-assisted therapies (AATs) are not widely promoted in routine mental healthcare but represent a viable treatment option given positive perceptions of pets and growing evidence that animals provide meaningful contribution to psychological wellbeing. Relatively little is known about the general public's attitude toward AATs, especially in relation to more commonly used alternatives. This study compared the acceptability of four different treatment options (AAT, medication, psychotherapy, and no active treatment) for common externalizing behaviors in children. Parents from a community sample (N = 189) were presented with vignettes describing a child with symptoms of an externalizing behavior disorder and were asked to rate the acceptability of the four different treatment options. Participants rated AAT as a highly acceptable form of treatment and more acceptable than no active treatment and medication. However, AAT was rated as less acceptable than psychotherapy. Experiences with animals (both positive and negative) were unrelated to the acceptability of AAT. These findings suggest that AAT is viewed as a highly acceptable form of treatment for common externalizing behaviors and should be more systematically investigated as a treatment for children's mental health problems.     

Pet Dogs Improve Family Functioning and Reduce Anxiety in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACT

There is increasing evidence to suggest that dogs are beneficial for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in therapy sessions, and anecdotal reports suggest that dogs may have wider benefits, in a family setting. This study investigated the effect of dog ownership on family functioning and child anxiety. Using a validated scale of family strengths and weaknesses (Brief Version of the Family Assessment Measure-III [General Scale]), we compared parents of children with ASD who had recently acquired a pet dog (n=42, Intervention group) with a similar group of parents not acquiring a dog (n=28, Control group) at matched time points. A sub-population (n =14 acquiring a dog, n=26 controls) completed a parental-report measure of child anxiety (Spence Children's Anxiety Scale). The primary carer completed the scales via telephone at Baseline (up to 17 weeks before acquiring a dog), Post-intervention (3–10 weeks after acquisition), and Follow-up (25–40 weeks after acquisition). Over time, scores for family functioning showed significant improvements (reduced family weaknesses, increased strengths) in the dog-owning compared with the non-dog owning group. In comparison with the non-dog owning group, anxiety scores in the dog-owning group reduced by a greater percentage, most notably in the domains of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (26% greater decrease), Panic Attack and Agoraphobia (24%), Social Phobia (22%), and Separation Anxiety (22%). The results illustrate the potential of pet dogs to improve whole family functioning and child anxiety.     

运动疗法联合作业疗法用于脑瘫患儿的疗效及对肢体运动功能作用

摘要 目的：探讨运动疗法联合作业疗法用于脑瘫患儿的疗效对肢体运动功能的作用。方法：选择2020年3月~2022年6月我院康复科收治的80例脑瘫患儿作为研究对象,采用随机数字表法分为两组各40例,对照组予以运动疗法干预,包括Bobath技术和核心稳定性训练,试验组在对照组基础上进行作业疗法干预,包括手功能、手眼协调能力、进食、如厕、更衣及游戏训练。干预前后采用粗大运动功能测量（GMFM）、精细运动功能评估表（FMFM）及Gesell发育量表对患儿进行评估,评价临床疗效,并采用SF-36健康调查简表（SF-36）对患者进行评估。结果：两组患儿干预后的GMFM评分、FMFM评分均明显提高,而试验组明显高于对照组（P<0.05）。两组患儿干预后的DQ评分均明显提高,而试验组明显高于对照组,试验组DQ评分增幅明显大于对照组（P<0.05）。试验组的总有效率（95.0%）明显高于对照组（77.5%）（P<0.05）。两组患儿干预后SF-36评分均明显提高,试验组在活力、社会功能和精神健康维度明显高于对照组（P<0.05）。结论：运动疗法联合作业疗法可有效促进脑瘫患儿的上肢与下肢运动功能改善,提高康复效果,改善患儿生存质量,应充分重视脑瘫的综合康复疗法。     

Nursing Home Staffs' Empathy for a Missing Therapy Dog,their Attitudes to Animal-Assisted Therapy Programs and Suitable Dog Breeds

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted at the Returned Soldiers League (RSL) War Veterans Home at Pinjarra Hills (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) where a spayed female Whippet, Heidi, was placed as a therapy dog. Of the 80 staff members, 47 (58.75%) returned completed questionnaires on attitudes towards Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) programs and the disappearance of Heidi two days after placement. The Pet Attitude Scale (Templer et al. 1981) was used in conjunction with the staff attitude questionnaire.

Respondents with high Pet Attitude scores were more upset (χ²₍₂₎=8.41, p<0.05) and liked dogs more (χ²₍₂₎=7.03, p<0.05) than staff with medium or low scores. The staff with high scores were also more pleased when Heidi returned (χ²₍₁₎=15.97, p<0.05). Respondents who wanted a program were those who liked dogs the most (χ²₍₁₎=7.02, p<0.05) and did not think having an AAT program would increase their workload (χ²₍₁₎=3.77, p<0.05). Staff who thought a dog should live at the nursing home were pleased (χ²₍₁₎=5.2, p<0.05) when Heidi returned.

Gentle/placid dogs were more frequently chosen (78.7%) than active dogs as suitable for AAT and the preferred size was medium (57.5%) with a short coat (78.7%).     

儿童慢性鼻窦炎的综合治疗

目的探讨儿童慢性鼻窦炎的有效治疗方法。方法回顾分析2001年1月～2004年10月在大连大学附属中山医院治疗的113例儿童慢性鼻窦炎的临床资料,分析5种治疗方法的疗效。结果根据患儿的病情,分别采取5种治疗方法,按1997年海口会议标准评定疗效,总有效率为88．5％。结论儿童慢性鼻窦炎的治疗要根据病情及伴随的相关疾病采取相应的治疗方法,才能提高疗效。     

The Psychological and Physiological Effects of Using a Therapy Dog in Mindfulness Training

ABSTRACT

The present study was a randomized controlled trial examining the psychological and physiological effects of adding animal-assisted therapy (AAT) to a modified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program (MBSR) for clients experiencing psychological distress. It was hypothesized that AAT would complement mindfulness-based interventions because the therapy dog will provide a focus for attention to the current experience and exemplify acceptance and “being,” enabling the understanding and practice of the main aspects of mindfulness. Participants (n=21) were randomly assigned to an MBSR or MBSR+AAT group and then completed an intervention consisting of six 50-minute individual therapy sessions. Each session included didactic and experiential components modified for delivery with or without a certified therapy dog. State and trait mindfulness, psychological distress measures, blood pressure, and heart rate were assessed at each session. Results indicate that all participants experienced fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms, decreased psychological distress, and increased mindfulness skills from preto post-treatment. Additionally, state anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate decreased within sessions. No significant difference was found between the control and experimental groups, indicating that interaction with a therapy dog had no impact on symptom reduction, skill acquisition, or client satisfaction in the current study. However, moderate to large effect size estimates indicate clinically significant differences between groups, with higher ratings for the MBSR+AAT group on therapist efficacy, recommending the training, and participating in future treatment. Future studies need to increase methodological rigor by including multiple therapist/dog teams and increasing sample size. Moreover, researchers must more thoroughly examine the role the dog might have in altering the social environment, such as reducing stigma surrounding mental health services and enhancing the therapeutic alliance.     

Preschoolers Categorize Animate Objects Better in the Presence of a Dog

ABSTRACT

The current study was designed to examine whether preschool children categorize picture stimuli differentially in the presence of a real dog compared with a stuffed dog or a human. Seventeen preschool children (age in months; M = 51.67, SD = 8.06), both Typical and those with a developmental delay (“Identified”), were asked to categorize Animate and Inanimate objects into two environments (Farm and Ocean) in each of three Collaborator conditions (Real Dog, Stuffed Dog, and Human). As predicted, there was a main effect of animation: the children more accurately categorized Animate (e.g., cow) exemplars than Inanimate ones (e.g., tractor). Additionally, the Animation variable interacted with Collaborator, such that in the presence of the real dog the impact of animation was significant, but this effect was not significant in the presence of the stuffed dog or human. This result indicates that the presence of the real dog served as a highly salient stimulus which encouraged the children to focus more of their attention on other animate objects in the list. This result provides additional evidence that the presence of a dog helps preschool children to restrict their attention to the demands of the task. This is a new and interesting finding that indicates that the presence of a real dog does have an impact on cognitive task performance.     

恒毅力养成：针对城市学龄前儿童的一种自然教育

恒毅力是一种基础性的人格特征。恒毅力对于人一生的健康和福祉都有着重要的积极影响。大量研究证明接触自然对当代人恒毅力的养成有显著的促进作用。根据人类身心发展的规律,以恒毅力为主要目标的自然教育最好从学龄前儿童期（5~6岁）开始进行。遗憾的是,关于此类自然教育的理论及实践知识仍然处于分散和不足的状态。因而,发展相对完整的自然教育体系以培养学龄前儿童的恒毅力是十分紧急且重要的。从恒毅力自然教育的理论框架、关键要素及其权重、自然教育及体验活动智库、对自然教育场所及活动的策略性设计这4部分探讨该类自然教育的理论体系和实践策略,或可为研究者提供儿童恒毅力的未来研究趋势,为教育者提供自然教育的实践启示,为设计师提供自然体验的新思路。     

阿托品压抑疗法和遮盖疗法治疗学龄儿童单眼弱视的临床效果

目的:探讨阿托品不同治疗方法对于学龄儿童单眼弱势的治疗效果。方法:回顾抽取我院眼科住院治疗的90例单眼弱视学龄儿童患者,根据疗法分成压抑组(压抑疗法)和遮盖组(短时遮盖疗法)各45例,对比分析两组患儿在视力、依从性、临床疗效和不良反应方面的差异性。结果:治疗后,压抑组患儿的视力、依从率(93.33%)、总有效率(91.11%)均显著高于遮盖组,且不良反应总发生率(15.00%)显著低于遮盖组(26.67%),差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:阿托品压抑疗法治疗学龄儿童单眼弱视具有疗效显著、依从性好、视力矫正效果明显、安全性好等优点,值得临床推荐。     

The Effect of a Canine-assisted Activity on College Student Perceptions of Family Supports and Current Stressors

Using data from a previously published study on effects of a canine-assisted activity (CAA) on college student stress the week before final examinations, we examined whether participation in this activity had effects on perceptions of 1) family supports (i.e., emotional distance to family members and pets) and 2) current stressors. A total of 74 students completed the Family Life Space Diagram (FLSD), which uses an individual's structured drawings of distances between symbols of self and living entities, organizations, and stressors to reflect “emotional distances.” Participants were randomly assigned to order of CAA or FLSD, which was the intervention study control condition. Groups completed the FLSD after participating in CAA (Group A, n = 34) or prior to CAA (Group B, n = 40). Participants were primarily white (56.8%) females (75.7%) with a mean age of 19.38 years (SD = 1.75). Significant differences with large effect sizes were found for both groups in distances between 1) self-closest and self-average family member (Group A: t = 7.02, df = 33, p < 0.001, d = 1.205; Group B: t = 6.25, df = 39, p < 0.001, d = 0.987) and 2) self-closest personal stressor (t = 2.93, df = 18, p = 0.009, d = 1.311) and self-average personal stressor (t = 2.54, df = 18. p = 0.020, d = 1.138). In both cases, Group A (FLSD following CAA) placed personal stressors in closer proximity to self. Although CAA did not affect students’ current perceptions of family and pet relationships, the intervention may have increased their abilities to cope with personal stressors. Modified stress theory supports the proposition that positive emotions associated with CAA engage positive coping strategies, resulting in more positive perceptions of stressors.