Terapia ocupacional assistida por cães para crianças no TEA: enfoque em comportamentos sociais e componentes do engajamento

Abstract

Introduction: Occupational therapists worldwide have implemented Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), integrating dogs into the care of children on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Studies indicate that children on ASD have limitations in social and emotional behaviors, such as making eye contact and smiling, as well as in components of engagement, such as motivation and perseverance in carrying out activities. The lack of these skills impairs social interaction, communication, and occupational performance. Objective: To identify and describe changes in social and emotional behaviors, as well as in the components of engagement of children on ASD after participating in Canine-Assisted Occupational Therapy programs. Furthermore, it aims to describe the activities carried out with a focus on stimulating and developing these behaviors and components. Methodology: A collective case study method was used, using qualitative and quantitative document analysis before and after the intervention. The sample consisted of four boys, two three years old and two six years old, and their respective mothers. The mothers completed the Canadian Measure of Occupational Performance pre- and post-intervention, and recordings of five weekly sessions with each child were analyzed. For each session, the frequency of social and emotional behaviors and components of occupational performance and engagement were recorded on a checklist. Results: From the first session, the children demonstrated eye contact and smiles directed at the dog, which were extended to the therapist in subsequent sessions. As eye contact and smiles increased, they demonstrated increased engagement components (motivation and perseverance), despite functional performance difficulties (fine and gross motor coordination, balance, attention, problem-solving). They also demonstrated increased positive emotional and social skills, such as voluntarily touching the dog, talking to the dog, and staying closer to the dog, which also extended to the therapist. Conclusions: Based on the theory of biophilia, it is concluded that the child-dog bond in the therapeutic environment favored increased eye contact and smiling, which suggests the other changes observed in the interaction with the dog and the therapist, as well as in the components of occupational engagement. Future research is needed to validate eye contact and smiling as measures of evaluating the effectiveness of Canine-Assisted Occupational Therapy for children on ASD.