Changes in behavioural synchrony during dog-assisted therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder and children with Down syndrome

BACKGROUND: Dog-assisted therapy (DAT) is hypothesized to help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Down syndrome (DS). METHODS: The present authors compared synchronous movement patterns of these children (n = 10) and their therapy dogs during the first and last session of a DAT programme, and their post-therapy changes in emotional and behavioural problems. RESULTS: The present authors found a significant increase in synchrony between child and therapy dog over time. Exploratory analyses suggest more synchrony between children with ASD and their therapy dogs, compared to the children with DS. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to test the synchrony hypothesis, shedding light upon a mechanism that may underlie the effect of DAT and how this may be different for children with ASD and DS

Educating a syndrome? Seeking a balance between identifying a learning profile and delivering inclusive education

This article summarizes research related to pedagogical approaches to special education, and characteristics of teacher's attitudes and beliefs that supports effective inclusion practices. Additionally, the author summarizes factors that may both enable and disable children with DS's progress, and notes speech and language characteristics from research to date

Measures of Parent-Infant Interaction

Increasingly, programs for handicapped infants and toddlers are including in their intervention activities objectives related to the quality of parent-child interaction. As a consequence, it has become necessary for programs to assess the impact of these intervention efforts on parent behaviors. This article considers tools available for assessing parent-child interaction for program planning and evaluation. Lastly, recommendations are offered to guide the selection of a measure of parent-child interactions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69100/2/10.1177_027112148600600204.pd