Equine assisted activities and therapies may be a useful form of treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder

Trzmiel, T. ., Purandare, B. ., Michalak, M. ., Zasadzka, E. ., & Pawlaczyk, M. . (2019). Equine assisted activities and therapies in children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and a meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 42, 104-113. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2018.11.004

This systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of published trials with comparison groups investigated the effectiveness of equine assisted activities and therapies (EEAT) among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). EEAT is one of the growing alternative and complementary methods being used to treat ASD. It thus “seems prudent to evaluate the effectiveness of EAAT for ASD treatment.”

A total of 15 studies met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The included studies were published in English in a peer-reviewed journal after 1999. Additionally, the included studies (a) involved a control group or presentation of comparative pre- and post-therapy results in children with ASD,  (b) had clearly defined inclusion and exclusion criteria for the study groups and controls, and (c) used only EAAT in the study group as compared to controls. The total number of participants from the 15 studies was 390. Their ages ranged from 3-16. There were considerably more males (79%) than females (21%). Most of the studies investigated the interaction between psychosocial functioning and EAAT.

“The overwhelming majority of the available reports demonstrated high effectiveness of EAAT, especially with regard to improved social functioning.” Some studies also reported a significant reduction in aggressive behaviors and improved trunk stability. The meta-analysis – which was conducted on 3 of the studies and involved 61 participants – presented some challenges due to different research tools and presentation of the results. This analysis revealed no statistical significance for the investigated effects. Overall findings, however, leave no doubt about the benefits of EAAT for children with ASD, especially in the area of social functioning.

Considerable discrepancies in therapeutic protocols and measurement instruments used in the included studies make it impossible to draw universal conclusions about the effectiveness of EAAT. More research is required, especially research involving longitudinal trials, standardized EAAT protocols, and representative large sample groups.  Yet, the results of the studies included in this review indicate that “EAAT may be a useful form of therapy in children with ASD.”

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