Equine Assisted Occupational Therapy for Children with Adhd (Astride): Protocol Development and Preliminary Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Occupational Therapy
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Animal-Assisted Interventions

Background:

• Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often receive Equine-Assisted Services (EAS) without validated protocols.
• Existing interventions lack standardized approaches for addressing ADHD-related deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate ASTride (ADHD Skills Therapy), a novel Equine-Assisted Occupational Therapy (EAOT) protocol.
• To address deficits in cognitive-emotional functions and participation in children aged 6-12 with ADHD.

Main Methods:

• Protocol development involved literature review and expert panel revision.
• A 12-week pilot study with five children diagnosed with ADHD was conducted.
• Pre- and post-assessments measured changes in executive functions and performance.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in executive functions, indicated by the Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI) total score.
• Participants showed enhanced hope perception and improved everyday performance post-intervention.
• The ASTride protocol demonstrated feasibility and positive outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The ASTride intervention protocol is feasible for improving cognitive and emotional functions in children with ADHD.
• EAOT, specifically the ASTride protocol, offers a viable therapeutic option for children with ADHD.
• Further research is warranted to confirm the efficacy of ASTride in larger cohorts.