Evaluating Additive Effects of Including Canines in Regulating Together: A Group Treatment to Address Emotion Dysregulation in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Regulating Together-Canine
- Conditions
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Sponsor
- Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati
- Enrollment
- 240
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Emotion Dysregulation Inventory-Reactivity (EDI-R)
- Status
- Recruiting
- Last Updated
- last month
Overview
Brief Summary
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.
Detailed Description
Children between the ages of 8 years 0 months and 15 years 11 months with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and emotion dysregulation (ED) and their caregivers will participate in 5 research visits and 10 group intervention sessions. They are randomly assigned to either Regulating Together-Standard group (no dog), or Regulating Together-Canine group (with dog). Characterization measures will be completed at Screen (T1). All outcome measures will be completed at Baseline (T2), Post-treatment (1-2 weeks following treatment completion, T3), 10 week post treatment completion follow up (T4), and 6 month post treatment completion follow up (T5).
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion 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
Exclusion Criteria
- •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
Arms & Interventions
Regulating Together-Canine (RT-Canine)
Participants in this Arm will receive the Regulating Together-Canine intervention.
Intervention: Regulating Together-Canine
Regulating Together-Standard (RT-Standard)
Participants in this Arm will receive the Regulating Together-Standard intervention.
Intervention: Regulating Together-Standard
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Emotion Dysregulation Inventory-Reactivity (EDI-R)
Time Frame: Through study completion
The EDI-R is a parent-report measure that consists of two scales, Reactivity which captures poorly regulated negative emotional responses and Dysphoria characterized by decreased uptake of positive affect and lack of motivation. Higher scores indicate higher emotional reactivity.