Abstract
Dog-assisted therapy (DAT) has become a promising complementary approach, providing social and emotional support for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research on the effects of DAT on multiple functions in children with ASD is limited, and the results are inconsistent. Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of DAT with an RCT study on both psychosocial problems and overall well-being in children with ASD in Hong Kong. An exploratory randomized controlled trial was conducted from February 2023 to November 2024, involving 64 children with ASD aged 6 to 15 years. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to DAT group and control group. The DAT group participated in a structured 8-session DAT training program while the control group received a conventional education curriculum. Before and after the intervention, the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory scale and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were used to evaluate children's quality of life and psychosocial problems, respectively. The paired t-test and independent t-test/Mann-Whitney U test were employed to analyze pre-post differences and group differences. In the DAT group, the mean total score of quality of life was significantly improved (pre vs. post: 58.32 vs. 63.71, P = 0.007) and the mean score of total difficulties was significantly reduced (pre vs. post: 15.63 vs. 13.16, P = 0.003). The decreased scores of several subscales of SDQ, such as externalizing behavior, conduct problems, and hyperactivity were also observed (all P < 0.05). The control group with conventional curriculum training also presented with a lowered mean total difficulties score (pre vs. post: 16.47 vs. 15.03, P = 0.035). There were no statistically significant change differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The preliminary finding shows DAT has a comparable effect to the school's educational curriculum in improving the psychosocial health and quality of life of children with ASD. DAT could potentially serve as a beneficial supplemental therapy for children with ASD who receive conventional curriculum training. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered on https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov (NCT06609122) on 25 Sep 2024. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Animal-assisted intervention (AAI) has emerged as a promising adjunct, offering social and emotional support for children with ASD. • Evidence on the impact of dog-assisted therapy (DAT) on important outcomes (e.g., emotional and behavioral problems, quality of life) were not fully explored. WHAT IS NEW: • DAT demonstrates a similar impact to the school's educational curriculum in enhancing the psychosocial well-being and quality of life of children with ASD. • Most cases in pediatric outbreaks occurred among healthcare workers pointing to the need to protect HCW from infections and a limited role of pediatric patients and caregivers.