Frannie Calkins
PSYC 268
Honor’s Contract Assignment
May 1, 2015
Animal-Assisted Therapies in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
As defined by Mayo Clinic Staff, autism spectrum disorder is a “serious
neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs a child’s ability to communicate and interact
with others” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014). Autism is also typically characterized by a
persistence in difficulties with both verbal and nonverbal communication; i.e., social
communication, accommodation of the needs of the listener based on settings,
understanding of social cues in “rules” of conversation, and understanding what is not
explicitly stated. Restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities; i.e., insistence
on routine and ritualistic living, fixated interests that are abnormally intense, and repetitive
motor movements or speech. Above symptoms will cause a significant impairment in
several areas of functioning in order for an autistic diagnosis to be given (DSM-5 Diagnostic
Criteria, 2015). There are different treatments in the works for individuals living with
autism, but one of the most popular is conventional therapy. As of recently, animals have
been used to supplement this research, and within the last ten years there have been
studies performed to investigate the pros and cons of animal assistance and presence in the
lives of individuals living with autism. In the articles investigated, there is evidence of
beneficial effects of individuals with autism receiving animal assistance and presence in
therapies.
Autism affects several parts of a person’s ability to function in society; a large part of
this is the difficulty in prosocial behavior. Prosocial behaviors have been shown to increase
in individuals with autism in therapies where animals have a presence. In a study of
different occupational therapy techniques published by Sams, Fortney and Willenbring, 22
children participated in both standard and animal-assisted therapy sessions. Both types of
sessions were geared toward aiding sensory integration and improving language use, but
one of the most significant findings in this study was the substantial increase in social
interaction during the animal-assisted therapy sessions more so than the conventional
occupational therapy sessions. It is thought that, with autistic individuals, social interaction
with other people is so difficult, perhaps, due to the unpredictability in movements and
emotional and physical reactions in humans. Animals are thought to be able to aid in this
