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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Pediatric Psychology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1496915

Enhancing Social Communication Behaviors in Children with Autism: The Impact of Dog Training Intervention on Verbal and Non-Verbal Behaviors

Provisionally accepted
Yaara Polak-Passy Yaara Polak-Passy 1Esther Ben-Itzchak Ɨ Esther Ben-Itzchak Ɨ 1*Ditza A. Zachor Ditza A. Zachor 2
  • 1 Department of Communication Disorders, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
  • 2 Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study investigated the impact of dog training intervention (DTI) on verbal, non-verbal, and maladaptive behaviors in autistic preschoolers. Previous research has demonstrated the benefits of animal-assisted interventions, but this study specifically focused on changes during the DTI. We analyzed video recordings of 37 autistic children (mean age 4:7 years, SD = 1:1) from special education preschools, comparing their behaviors during the initial and final intervention sessions. The intervention, consisting of 17 structured stages, progressively introduced the children to dog interactions, ultimately allowing them to act as dog trainers. Behavioral analysis was divided into two main areas: responses to the therapist's instructions and self-initiated behaviors observed in interactions with the therapist and the dog. Post-intervention results indicated a notable increase in non-verbal communication, with more sustained self-initiated eye contact, gestures, and facial expressions and increased verbal commands directed toward the dog. Improvements were also seen in therapist-prompted gestures and joint attention, and question-answer interactions with the therapist. However, a decrease was observed in self-initiated eye contact, duration of eye contact, and verbal sharing with the therapist. Maladaptive behaviors, such as inappropriate physical contact and repetitive movements, decreased. The study found a moderate negative correlation between autism severity and responsiveness to therapist instructions and a moderate positive correlation between IQ and improvements in therapist responsiveness. These findings support the growing evidence for the efficacy of dog-assisted interventions and emphasize the importance of tailoring interventions to individual child characteristics.

    Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorders, dog training intervention, Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI), Non-verbal behaviors, Verbal behaviors, maladaptive behaviors

    Received: 15 Sep 2024; Accepted: 28 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Polak-Passy, Ben-Itzchak Ɨ and Zachor. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Esther Ben-Itzchak Ɨ, Department of Communication Disorders, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.