Effects of a collaborative occupational therapy interactive vaulting program on executive function on in children with disabilities: A pilot study Grant uri icon

abstract

  • Children with disabilities have been found to have deficits in executive function which negatively impacts their ability to develop positive and lasting social relationships with peers and family (Maryam, Mona, & Akram, 2014). Further, as these children reach adulthood, plaguing deficits in executive function thwart their efforts to develop enduring relationships and gainful employment (Park, Kim, & Kim, 2016). When contemporary and alternative strategies are used as treatment, it provides additional opportunities for children with disabilities to develop and practice skills needed to become socially connected in their communities (Christon, Mackintosh, & Myers, 2010). Despite the large number of contemporary and alternative strategies, there is no universal strategy to treat children with diagnosed disabilities. There is a need to examine the efficacy of contemporary approaches, such as equine assisted activities, on emotional and behavioral disorders in children. The long-term goal is to improve parental perception and professional knowledge of contemporary equine-assisted therapy (interactive vaulting) for children with disabilities. The overall objective of this project is to address the lack of generalization of skills identified by parents and determine the extent to which this approach improves social skills in every day contexts. The central hypothesis is children who participate in the collaborative occupational therapy interactive vaulting program will demonstrate a significant improvement in executive function and social participation as rated by parents and instructors. The hypothesis was created by the PI during preliminary work of equine-assisted therapy for children with disabilities. To assess the hypothesis, a group setting will be established with six children, their parents, one vaulting instructor, and one occupational therapist (OT) to test and measure the child?s social participation at the beginning and end of the program. The outcome and results from this study will identify the positive contributions of equine-assisted therapy, which will be detailed in a manual for future research replication and dissemination.

date/time interval

  • November 2019 - May 2021