The effects of therapeutic horseback riding program on motor skills in children with autism spectrum disorder

Zhao, Mengxian, You, Yonghao, Li, Jinming, Healy, Sean, Taylor, Alyx, Zhang, Zhihao, Li, Linlin and Zou, Liye (2022) The effects of therapeutic horseback riding program on motor skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 24. pp. 475-489. ISSN 1462-3730

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Abstract

Therapeutic horseback riding (THR) as an animal-assisted intervention is one of the innovative approaches emerging in the treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study was designed to investigate the effects of a 12-week, twice a week THR program on motor skills in sixty-eight children with ASD aged 5–10 years old. All participants selected met the DSM-V criteria for ASD, and a total of fifty-three participants completed the study. A randomized controlled trial design was utilized for the study. Data was collected via a pre-THR test, interim-THR test, and post-THR test to investigate the possible changes in motor skills throughout the 12-week THR program. Results showed that the THR program significantly improved overall motor skills across time points (p < 0.05) and sub-skills of run, gallop and two-hand catch (as compared to the control group, p < 0.05). In conclusion, the THR program may be an effective option for improving motor skills in children with ASD and further investigation with a longer period of intervention is warranted.

Item Type: Article
Schools: School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Depositing User: CoSector Repositories
Date Deposited: 23 Dec 2024 15:33
Last Modified: 23 Dec 2024 15:33
URI: https://hsu.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/342

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