Assessing Effects of an Assistance Dog on Social Communication and Interaction of a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder and his Family: An Exploratory Single-Case Study

Abstract

Abstract This exploratory case study using a mixed analytic approach aimed to assess the assistance dog’s effects on social behaviors (SB) of a child with ASD. The first objective was to examine the frequency of 26 SB. The second objective aimed to assess symptoms of ASD. The third objective was to describe the mother’s experience. One family participated in 17 sessions of direct observations. The mother completed the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (GARS-2), and a semi-structured interview. The findings showed a discrepancy between the effects measured by direct observations and the parent’s perceived benefits.