Dog-assisted therapy and motor coordination in children with autism spectrum disorder: an exploratory pre-post study.

Abstract

Motor impairments are highly prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and negatively affect daily functioning and participation. While animal-assisted interventions have shown benefits in social and emotional domains, their impact on motor coordination remains poorly investigated. This study aimed to evaluate whether a structured dog-assisted therapy (DAT) program was associated with changes in parent-reported motor coordination in children with ASD. We conducted a single-arm, exploratory pre-post study involving a 12-week DAT program delivered twice weekly. Thirty children with ASD (mean age 7.1 ± 1.8 years; 83% male) completed the intervention. Motor coordination was assessed at baseline (T0) and post-intervention (T1) using the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ). Within-participant changes were analyzed using paired statistical tests, with effect sizes reported. Mean DCDQ total scores increased from 18.5 ± 5.9 at T0 to 48.7 ± 11.0 at T1 (mean change = 30.2 points; 95% CI 26.9-33.4; p < .001), corresponding to a very large effect size (Cohen's d^z = 3.45). Based on age-specific cutoffs, 57% of participants shifted from an "indicative/suspect" to a "typical" motor coordination range. Attendance was high, and no adverse events were reported. A 12-week dog-assisted therapy program was associated with marked improvements in parent-reported motor coordination in children with ASD. Although findings are preliminary and limited by the uncontrolled design and reliance on parent report, they support further evaluation of DAT in controlled trials incorporating objective motor outcomes.