Evaluating Additive Effects of Including Canines in Regulating Together

Description

The primary objective is to evaluate the potential additive effect of animal-assisted intervention (AAI) on a manualized behavioral treatment targeting emotion dysregulation (ED) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Aim 1: Evaluate whether Regulating Together-Canine demonstrates earlier and greater improvement in emotion dysregulation than Regulating Together-Standard. Aim 2: Evaluate if Regulating Together-Canine increases child engagement and learning compared to Regulating Together-Standard. Exploratory Aim: Explore association of physiological arousal (via heart rate tracking) with emotion dysregulation, treatment engagement, and learning.

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emotion Regulation

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Study Overview

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Study Details

Study overview

The primary objective is to evaluate the potential additive effect of animal-assisted intervention (AAI) on a manualized behavioral treatment targeting emotion dysregulation (ED) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Aim 1: Evaluate whether Regulating Together-Canine demonstrates earlier and greater improvement in emotion dysregulation than Regulating Together-Standard. Aim 2: Evaluate if Regulating Together-Canine increases child engagement and learning compared to Regulating Together-Standard. Exploratory Aim: Explore association of physiological arousal (via heart rate tracking) with emotion dysregulation, treatment engagement, and learning.

Evaluating Additive Effects of Including Canines in Regulating Together: A Group Treatment to Address Emotion Dysregulation in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Evaluating Additive Effects of Including Canines in Regulating Together

Condition
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Cincinnati

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Concern of emotion dysregulation (ED) as measured by a score of 6 or greater on the Emotion Dysregulation Inventory-Reactivity (EDI-R)
  • * Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
  • * Diagnosis confirmed by an experienced ASD clinician and further supported by scoring in the range for ASD on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2)
  • * A Full Scale Intelligence Quotient score of 65 or greater on the Weschler Abbreviated Scale Intelligence (WASI-II)
  • * English is the primary language
  • * Family willing to keep prescribed medication stable over the course of the study period
  • * Participant has a phobia toward or is allergic to canines
  • * Participant has a history of aggression toward animals
  • * Participant has had any physical aggression toward other children outside the home in the past 2 weeks that resulted in injury
  • * Presence of comorbid major neuropsychiatric illness warranting other treatment approaches as determined by the study clinician(s) including substance use disorders, psychotic disorders/schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, among others
  • * Presence of any major sensory impairment that would limit participating in the material including blindness or uncorrected hearing loss
  • * A legal guardian is not available to provide informed consent

Ages Eligible for Study

8 Years to 15 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati,

Rebecca Shaffer, Psy.D., PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati

Study Record Dates

2027-08-31