Research Article: Group Changes in Cortisol and Heart Rate Variability of Children with Down Syndrome and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder during Dog-Assisted Therapy
Abstract:
Dog-assisted therapy is hypothesized to lower stress in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and children with Down syndrome (DS), which may be visible on a physiological level. In this study, we measured heart rate variability (HRV) and salivary cortisol of 20 children with DS or ASD at the beginning and end of six weekly sessions of dog-assisted therapy. We found a decrease of cortisol levels during single sessions, but no overall effect after six sessions (six weeks). The effect of dog-assisted therapy on the increase of HRV could not be confirmed. This study is one of the first to use physiological measurements to test the effects of DAT.
Introduction:
Children with Down syndrome (DS) and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience stress due to difficulties with their social interactions and verbalization, e.g., when initiating and maintaining social relationships or when they have difficulties with cognitive switching [1,2,3]. These children seem more fearful than their typically developing peers [4], use less effective coping strategies in response to stressful situations [5], and have strong stress reactions to their social environment.…
Read more