Journal Article

Visual Exploration and Observation of Real-Life Interactions Between Children with ASD and Service Dogs

Champagne, Noël, Plusquellec, Pierrich, Grandgeorge, Marine, François, Nathe, Dollion, Nicolas, Toutain, Manon

2021

Overview

Two original studies explored relationships between visual attention of children with ASD (candidates for receiving a service dog) and their behaviors during their first interaction with a service dog. The first study consisted in video behavioural analyses of 16 children with ASD interacting with a service dog. During the interaction with a service dog, the time children with ASD spent looking towards social items vs objects was associated with how they interacted with the service dog. The second study was exploratory (i.e. 6 children), using the same behavioural approach but coupled with eye-tracking data. The more children with ASD looked at both their parent and the evaluator, as opposed to inanimate items, the more they interacted with the service dog.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer,Springer Nature B.V,Springer Verlag
• Subject: Animals / Applied behavior analysis / Assistance animals / Attention / Autism / Autism Spectrum Disorders / Autistic children / Behavior / Behavior Problems / Behavioral Science and Psychology / Candidates / Child and School Psychology / Child Behavior / Children / Cognitive science / Communication Skills / Dogs / Eye Movements / Eye tracking / Guide dogs / Health aspects / Human-animal relationships / Interaction / Interpersonal Competence / Motor Development / Neurosciences / Nonverbal Communication / Observation / Observations / Original Paper / Parent-child relations / Pediatric research / Pediatrics / Pervasive Developmental Disorders / Positive Reinforcement / Prosocial Behavior / Psychological aspects / Psychology / Public Health / Service dogs / Social aspects / Social Behavior / Social ecology / Social Environment / Social Problems / Tracking / Visual attention / Visual perception / Visual Stimuli / Young Children