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The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
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Published on: June 12, 2020

Canine-assisted therapy for children with ADHD: preliminary findings from the positive assertive cooperative kids

Sabrina E B Schuck1, Natasha A Emmerson2, Aubrey H Fine3

  • 1University of California, Irvine, USA sabrina@uci.edu.

Journal of Attention Disorders
|September 25, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Canine-assisted intervention (CAI) shows promise for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Preliminary findings indicate CAI may enhance standard cognitive-behavioral therapy by reducing ADHD symptom severity.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Behavioral Therapy
  • Animal-Assisted Therapy

Background:

  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) presents significant challenges for children and families.
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common treatment approach for ADHD.
  • Novel therapeutic strategies are needed to improve treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the preliminary findings of a randomized clinical trial on canine-assisted intervention (CAI) for children with ADHD.
  • To compare the effectiveness of CBT with and without CAI.

Main Methods:

  • A 12-week randomized clinical trial involving 24 children diagnosed with ADHD.
  • Children were assigned to group therapy with or without CAI.
  • Parents participated in concurrent weekly group therapy sessions.

Main Results:

  • Both treatment groups showed improvements in children's social skills, prosocial behaviors, and problematic behaviors.
  • ADHD symptom severity decreased in both groups.
  • Children receiving CAI demonstrated greater reductions in ADHD symptom severity compared to those receiving CBT alone.

Conclusions:

  • Canine-assisted intervention (CAI) may serve as a valuable addition to cognitive-behavioral therapy for children with ADHD.
  • CAI shows potential as a novel therapeutic strategy to enhance ADHD treatment outcomes.
  • Further research is warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.
Abstract

Keywords:
ADHDcanine-assisted therapyhuman–animal interactionspet therapy

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