Equine-Assisted Learning for Children with Disabilities

Background

Interest in Equine-assisted Services (EAS) has grown rapidly among behavioral health professionals. The available research on the effects of EAS are limited, sparse, and mostly exploratory in nature. However, a growing number of studies point to behavioral, physical, and social benefits from EAS, especially for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Dawson et al, 2022; Anderson & Meints, 2016). In this feasibility study, we evaluated the effectiveness of an unmounted EAS intervention, the “Just Ask Yourself to Care” (JAYC) program, for youth with disabilities. The eight-week JAYC curriculum is psycho-educational, strength-based, and resiliency-focused. We hypothesized that evaluation procedures would be feasible and participation in the JAYC program would improve in social skills, empathy and self-confidence.

The evaluation of the JAYC Curriculum was developed using Participatory Action Research Methods by an evaluation team that included the curriculum developers, faculty researchers, and program administrators and staff representing three EAS Programs. Minor revisions were made to the curriculum in consultation with curriculum developers to enhance safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Children with disabilities (n=25) at two sites participated in a feasibility study of implementation and evaluation procedures. Before and after completing the curriculum, children completed the General Self-efficacy Scale, a 10-item self-administered scale measuring beliefs that one’s actions are responsible for successful outcomes. Parents of participants completed The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a reliable and valid brief behavioral screening questionnaire that includes 25 items within 5 scales. Program facilitators completed a fidelity checklist of activities completed during each session. All surveys were self-administered. Paired sample t-tests were used to analyze changes in mean scores between pretest and posttest.

Findings

The findings demonstrated the feasibility of implementing the JAYC program with fidelity and evaluating the program using the SDQ surveys with parents. However, children had difficulty completing the measures, and they were time-consuming. The analysis of SDQ data indicates promising trends, although changes were not statistically significant. Specifically, parents reported small improvements in Conduct Problems, Peer Problems, Prosocial Behavior, and Internalizing symptoms. In the case of Prosocial Behavior, scores improved to be consistent with normative scores from a national sample. Children’s scores on the General Self-Efficacy questionnaire indicated statistically significant improvement in self-efficacy.

Conclusions and Implications

The findings suggest that the program is feasible and has potential benefits for improving social behavior among children with a range of disabilities. As an unmounted EAS group program, the JAYC curriculum is less time and resource intensive than other equine-assisted activities, such as therapeutic riding. Thus, this program may present opportunities for programs looking for an efficient and engaging way of developing skills in a group context. Future research on the JAYC curriculum should include a larger sample and a comparison group. Researchers should also explore alternative means of obtaining feedback from children that are less burdensome and time-consuming than self-administered questionnaires.