HORSE VERSUS HORSE SIMULATOR: AN INVESTIGATION OF SENSORY PROCESSING PATTERNS AND ENGAGEMENT IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in engagement levels in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when participating in therapeutic activities on a horse or horse-riding simulator, the MiraColt™. Further, it aimed to determine if there was a relationship between sensory processing patterns and engagement levels of children when participating in therapeutic activities on a MiraColt™. Lastly, it aimed to determine if there was a relationship between sensory processing patterns and engagement levels of children when participating in therapeutic activities on a horse. Method: This pilot study used a one group quasi-experimental repeated measures design. Participants (n=6) were children aged 5-12 years old who completed two separate visits for the conditions. The first visit consisted of a 10-minute tabletop activity to establish a baseline of engagement, administration of Evaluation of Ayres Sensory Integration (EASI) tests (postural control, bilateral integration, ocular motor and praxis, and balance), and condition one which was participating in therapeutic activities while riding the MiraColt™ for 20 minutes. During the second visit, participants participated in condition two, which was therapeutic activities while riding the horse for 20 minutes. The tabletop activity and riding conditions were video recorded, and engagement levels were assessed using a pilot measure developed for this study. The Wilcoxon signed rank test explored differences in total engagement level scores of the two riding conditions. Spearman’s rho correlations were conducted to assess the relationships between sensory processing patterns and engagement levels of children during therapeutic activities on a MiraColt™ and on a horse. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in total engagement level scores between children with ASD participating in therapeutic activities while riding the MiraColt™ and the horse (p=0.92). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the ocular praxis EASI test and engaged behaviors when participating in therapeutic activities while riding the horse (p = 0.05). Additionally, there were statistically significant positive correlations for the postural control EASI test and engaged behaviors for both riding conditions, the MiraColt (p = 0.03) and the horse (p = 0.01). Conclusion: This study did not find a significant difference in engagement levels between the two riding conditions, which suggests that horse riding simulators may be a suitable alternative to engaging children with ASD in therapeutic activities when horse riding is not feasible. Positive relationships between the riding conditions and the EASI tests suggest that postural control and ocular praxis may play a role in a child with ASD's ability to engage during multisensory activities. Future research with a larger sample size is needed to increase the statistical rigor and generalizability of these results. Further investigation must also be completed to evaluate the validity, reliability, and sensitivity of the engagement measure used in this study.