Effect of Motorized Elephant-Assisted Therapy Program on Balance Control of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have poor balance, and this limitation has effects on their daily living activities. The purpose of this study was to create the motorized elephant-assisted therapy program (METP) and examine the effect of the METP on balance control improvement in individuals with ASD. Twenty participants, aged 8 to 19 years, were recruited from occupational therapy clinics around Chiang Mai city and were divided into 2 groups: control and experimental. Participants' balance control was tested by measuring their postural sways in a bipedal stance by using a Swaymeter under four conditions: “floor-eyes open,” “floor-eyes closed,” “foam-eyes open,” and “foam-eyes closed.” Pretests were administered one week before participation in the METP, and then, posttests were administered one week after completing the METP. Each participant took a 1.5-hour session of the METP, twice a week for a 4-week duration. In one session, 2 participants were assigned to work with two motorized elephants in 4 activities: washing the elephant, climbing up and down the elephant, riding the elephant, and playing a game while riding the elephant. Results showed that the pretest control and experimental groups were not significantly different in their balance control, but at posttest, the postural sway of the experimental group was significantly different from that of the control group in two conditions: floor-eyes open and floor-eyes closed. Their lesser anteroposterior range of postural sway showed that the experimental group gained balance control improvement. In conclusion, the finding of this study showed that the METP could be an alternative treatment method to facilitate better balance control in individuals with ASD.

Application of Three-Dimensional Pseudocontinuous Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion Imaging in the Brains of Children With Autism

“…( 2 , 3 ). Some pathogenic factors have not been clearly identified ( 4 , 5 ). For example, studies have found that some brain regions of children with autism have abnormal anatomical structures or abnormal brain function activities ( 6 , 7 ), but whether cerebral blood perfusion in abnormal brain regions is also abnormal is unknown.…”

Application of Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Autism in Children

“…Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorder with the onset in early childhood, characterized by impairment in communication, and social interaction, rigidity of interests, and repetitive stereotypical behaviors ( 1 – 4 ). The incidence of ASD is increasing worldwide, while the etiology and pathogenesis of autism are poorly understood and no drug is available ( 5 , 6 ). Children with autism are mainly treated with rehabilitation intervention, and there is no specific treatment yet.…”

An Overview of the Available Intervention Strategies for Postural Balance Control in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Terapies. Animal-assisted therapies have been utilized for occupational therapy in diferent neurological conditions, and they have recently gained popularity in occupational therapy of individuals with ASD [40][41][42][43][44][45]. Tese interventions positively infuence their subjects' willingness to engage in routine life tasks [46].…”

“…Tese interventions positively infuence their subjects' willingness to engage in routine life tasks [46]. Animal-assisted therapies positively afect motor skills, sensory system function, and communication skills in those with ASD and have promising efects on their postural balance [42][43][44][45]47].…”

“…In Thailand, elephant-assisted therapy has been reported to improve a wide range of ASD complications, including postural balance [ 42 , 43 ]. Satiansukpong et al designed an intervention using elephant-assisted therapy.…”