The purpose of the following study is to further develop the literature about Pet therapy as an alternative treatment for Autistic Spectrum Disorders. In particular, it is focused on monitoring the range of effects that a Pet therapy program can have on individuals on the autistic spectrum. The aim is to better understand how the most characteristic autistic spectrum symptoms are positively influenced by this therapy, evaluating the improvements in several areas: psychosocial, behavioral, motor and cognitive. The analysis is based on a sample of four adults with comorbid deficits. The impact of the therapy and the extent of the variation in symptoms are evaluated with a checklist made for the purpose, namely the Pet therapy efficacy on autistic patients assessment checklist. The therapy was distributed along ten days, and each session was further divided in three different moments of observation: Pre – five minutes before the therapy started; During – the five minutes of therapy; After – five minutes right after the therapy has ended. At the end of all ten sessions, correlational analysis and a repeated measurement analysis were conducted. The study highlighted, in addition to an overall calming effect, substantial improvements in the following areas: psychosocial – as the eye-contact has notably increased; behavioral – as stereotypies have decreased; and cognitive – as sustained attention has visibly benefit from the interaction with the animal. However, the analysis did not show any significant differences between the first and the last therapy session. Furthermore, the comparison amongst the three different moments of observation showed that the positive effects aroused by the therapy take place exclusively during the session, and do not last beyond that specific moment. To this matter, further research should be done: a longitudinal study could help to understand what the effects would possibly be when considering a longer period, such as from the very first moment the individual starts the Pet therapy.
Il presente studio contribuisce ad ampliare la letteratura riferita alla Pet therapy come trattamento dei Disturbi dello Spettro Autistico. Nello specifico, esplora gli effetti che un programma di Pet therapy può avere su un gruppo di soggetti autistici con lo scopo di indagare i possibili benefici di questa terapia sui sintomi caratteristici del disturbo, valutandoli a livello psicosociale, comportamentale, motorio e cognitivo. Il campione selezionato per lo studio è costituito da 4 soggetti adulti con Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico in comorbidità con altri deficit. Al fine della valutazione degli aspetti tipici del disturbo, è stata realizzata una nuova check-list di osservazione che ha preso il nome di Strumento di valutazione dell’efficacia della Pet therapy su pazienti Autistici. Le giornate di terapia sono state 10 in tutto, ognuna di esse era suddivisa in tre momenti differenti di osservazione: Pre – cinque minuti prima della terapia; Durante – i cinque minuti durante la terapia; Post – cinque minuti dopo la terapia. Al termine della valutazione di tutte le sedute per soggetto, sono state svolte le analisi correlazionali e a misure ripetute. I risultati hanno evidenziato, oltre ad un effetto generale calmante, miglioramenti significativi nell’area: psicosociale – per quanto riguarda il Contatto oculare, infatti vi è stato un aumento notevole di questo; comportamentale – nello specifico si è osservata una diminuzione delle stereotipie; cognitiva – l’attenzione sostenuta infatti sembra aver beneficiato dell’interazione con l’animale. Grazie al confronto tra i tre momenti di osservazione si evince che risultati si palesano solo nel momento stesso della seduta non rimanendo permanenti nel tempo. Inoltre, non è stato riscontrato alcun miglioramento significativo tra l’inizio e la fine della terapia. A questo proposito, dovrebbero essere fatte ulteriori ricerche: uno studio longitudinale potrebbe aiutare a capire quali potrebbero essere gli effetti quando si considera un periodo più lungo, ad esempio dal momento in cui l'individuo entra in contatto per la prima volta con la Pet therapy.
Pet therapy: Realizzazione di una check-list per la valutazione dell’efficacia di un intervento su soggetti affetti da Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico
GRIFFINI, FEDERICA ROMANA
2017/2018
Abstract
The purpose of the following study is to further develop the literature about Pet therapy as an alternative treatment for Autistic Spectrum Disorders. In particular, it is focused on monitoring the range of effects that a Pet therapy program can have on individuals on the autistic spectrum. The aim is to better understand how the most characteristic autistic spectrum symptoms are positively influenced by this therapy, evaluating the improvements in several areas: psychosocial, behavioral, motor and cognitive. The analysis is based on a sample of four adults with comorbid deficits. The impact of the therapy and the extent of the variation in symptoms are evaluated with a checklist made for the purpose, namely the Pet therapy efficacy on autistic patients assessment checklist. The therapy was distributed along ten days, and each session was further divided in three different moments of observation: Pre – five minutes before the therapy started; During – the five minutes of therapy; After – five minutes right after the therapy has ended. At the end of all ten sessions, correlational analysis and a repeated measurement analysis were conducted. The study highlighted, in addition to an overall calming effect, substantial improvements in the following areas: psychosocial – as the eye-contact has notably increased; behavioral – as stereotypies have decreased; and cognitive – as sustained attention has visibly benefit from the interaction with the animal. However, the analysis did not show any significant differences between the first and the last therapy session. Furthermore, the comparison amongst the three different moments of observation showed that the positive effects aroused by the therapy take place exclusively during the session, and do not last beyond that specific moment. To this matter, further research should be done: a longitudinal study could help to understand what the effects would possibly be when considering a longer period, such as from the very first moment the individual starts the Pet therapy.È consentito all'utente scaricare e condividere i documenti disponibili a testo pieno in UNITESI UNIPV nel rispetto della licenza Creative Commons del tipo CC BY NC ND.
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14239/4584