The use of dog therapy in the treatment and rehabilitation of children with autism

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Bociarska ◽  
Beata Janina Olejnik ◽  
Monika Chorazy ◽  
Katarzyna Snarska ◽  
Jolanta Lewko

Introduction. Dog therapy has a significant impact on the child’s development. Children suffering from chronic diseases requiring long-term treatment and rehabilitation are particularly responsive to therapeutic modalities involving dogs. Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of dog therapy on the treatment and rehabilitation of children with autism and to assess the influence of dog therapy on behaviour and attitude changes in such children. Material and methods. The study included a group of 50 children diagnosed with autism who received dog therapy as a auxiliary treatment modality. Respondents were the children’s parents/guardians. The diagnostic survey method including an original questionnaire consisting of 22 questions relating, among other things, to the benefits and changes in the physical, psychological and social behaviour of the child resulting from the applied therapy was utilised. Results. A significant number of study participants showed positive changes in behaviour regarding each sphere of functioning. In 70% of the studied children, a decreased level of anxiety was observed in contacts with their surroundings, greater openness and trust as well as higher motivation and greater initiative in a variety of educational and therapeutic activities. Conclusions. The active involvement of a dog in the child’s development is a form of therapy and rehabilitation which has not been fully explored and appreciated. Dogs exert a positive impact on the child’s development, enhance cognitive processes and motivation, inspire the child, improve their psychosocial functioning as well as reduce stereotyped behaviours and other axial symptoms of autism. Subjective assessment and the objective results obtained in the study indicate high efficacy of dog therapy as an auxiliary method. There is a need to use and evaluate this auxiliary treatment modality in human life.

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 532-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommy Lau ◽  
Man Lai Cheung ◽  
Guilherme D. Pires ◽  
Carol Chan

Purpose The abolishment of the wine tax in Hong Kong has led to increased wine consumption and increased demand for wine-related professionals, such as sommeliers. Yet the importance of sommeliers’ value-adding performance in the context of upscale Chinese restaurants has not been examined. To address this gap, the SERVQUAL framework is adopted to examine the influence of sommeliers’ service quality (SQ) on customer satisfaction (CS) and loyalty in the context of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach The survey method is used to collect data from 302 units of the population of interest, partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is used to test the links between constructs. Findings Four of the seven dimensions of sommeliers’ service quality, namely, empathy, tangibles, credibility and assurance, have a significant positive impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, whereas the impact of perceived value and responsiveness on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty is positive but only marginally significant. Reliability has a weak and non-significant impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Research limitations/implications Examining a small number of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong limits generalisation of the findings to other contexts. Replication of the research in different contexts will enhance generalizability. In terms of implications, the discussion highlights the importance of sommeliers’ service performance on customers’ SQ perceptions SQ, CS and loyalty, all of which are important variables for restaurateurs. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of the influence of the quality of sommelier’s SQ on CS and loyalty in upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. Given the lack of attention to this service role in the literature, the study contributes theory from which further understanding can develop.


2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 319-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre S. Chue ◽  
Peter D'Hoore ◽  
J. Michael Ramstack

Chronic disorders such as schizophrenia require long-term treatment programs in order to maintain patients at the lowest level of symptomatology, reduce the likelihood of psychotic relapse, and support achievement of remission and recovery. Evidence suggests that treatment with long-acting injectable antipsychotics reduces the impact of partial compliance and provides predictable release of medication, assuring continuous therapeutic coverage. Until recently, only conventional antipsychotic agents were available in long-acting formulations, thereby foregoing the advantages of the atypical class. Atypical agents which are given orally have been shown to provide long-term efficacy and tolerability benefits compared with conventional agents, but are limited by the need for daily administration. The most recent pharmacological strategy to achieve optimal maintenance treatment has been to combine the benefits of an atypical antipsychotic with delivery in a water-based long-acting formulation. The first antipsychotic to achieve this combination – long-acting risperidone – may thus represent an important advance in the optimization of long-term treatment outcomes in patients with schizophrenia.


Spine ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 31 (26) ◽  
pp. 3061-3069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Atlas ◽  
Yuchiao Chang ◽  
Robert B. Keller ◽  
Daniel E. Singer ◽  
Yen A. Wu ◽  
...  

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1259
Author(s):  
Gerard Anmella ◽  
Silvia Vilches ◽  
Jordi Espadaler ◽  
Andrea Murru ◽  
Isabella Pacchiarotti ◽  
...  

Several pharmacogenetic-based decision support tools for psychoactive medication selection are available. However, the scientific evidence of the gene-drug pairs analyzed is mainly based on pharmacogenetic studies in patients with major depression or schizophrenia, and their clinical utility is mostly assessed in major depression. This study aimed at evaluating the impact of individual genes, with pharmacogenetic relevance in other psychiatric conditions, in the response to treatment in bipolar depression. Seventy-six patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder and an index major depressive episode were included in an observational retrospective study. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected, and all patients were genotyped using a commercial multigene pharmacogenomic-based tool (Neuropharmagen®, AB-Biotics S.A., Barcelona, Spain). Multiple linear regression was used to identify pharmacogenetic and clinical predictors of efficacy and tolerability of medications. The pharmacogenetic variables response to serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) (ABCB1) and reduced metabolism of quetiapine (CYP3A4) predicted patient response to these medications, respectively. ABCB1 was also linked to the tolerability of SNRIs. An mTOR-related multigenic predictor was also associated with a lower number of adverse effects when including switch and autolytical ideation. Our results suggest that the predictors identified could be useful to guide the pharmacological treatment in bipolar disorder. Additional clinical studies are necessary to confirm these findings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Jingjing Lv ◽  
Nan Wang ◽  
Shaoxin Xiang

This paper analyzes the impact of information interaction ability on the value co-creation business model of online education enterprises from the perspective of supply chain. Integrate the perspective of supply chain and summarize the content of supply chain capability and performance. This paper analyzes the connotation and shortcomings of information interaction ability, combines the connotation of value co-creation to maximize the advantages of information interaction, assumes the impact of information interaction on value co-creation through questionnaire survey method, uses software to analyze the reliability and validity of data, and proves that the data are reasonable. Information interaction has a positive impact on the value co-creation business model of online education enterprises.


Author(s):  
Tariq Hassan Alzahran Tariq Hassan Alzahran

The study aimed to identify the impact of business strategies on financial performance in Saudi joint stock companies, and used the descriptive analytical method, and the study community is of all the industrial companies listed on the Saudi capital market and the 81 companies, and the sample of the study became after excluding companies whose data are not available during the study period (73) companies. Corporate financial reports were collected from 2010 to 2019, and the data was analysed using Panel data, based on the statistical method represented in the Multi- Regression. The comprehensive survey method of industrial companies in Saudi Arabia was used, and the study found that there was no impact of the product differentiation strategy on the financial performance of Saudi industrial companies, and that there was no impact of the cost leadership strategy on the financial performance of Saudi industrial companies. The size of the company also has a positive impact on the rate of return on ownership, leverage negatively affects financial performance, and the company's life has a negative impact on financial performance. The study recommends future studies to increase the size of the sample and study all Saudi companies to ascertain the impact of business strategies on the performance of companies, and recommended companies to reduce indebtedness and leverage, so that the strategies provided by serving companies in raising financial performance, and working on the application of strategies in a scientific manner so that they have a positive impact on the performance of companies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 46-59
Author(s):  
Nur Laila Molla

COVID-19 is the most devastating pandemic in human history. Every aspect of human life on earth is disrupted, with little or no education. Many countries have decided to close schools, colleges, and universities, including Indonesia. The crisis came as a shock to governments in every part of the world, including Indonesia, which had to make drastic decisions to close their schools and save lives or to reopen schools in order to save workers’ livelihoods. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of the spread of covid-19 in the world of education. 75 respondents used for sample. The sample selection method used was the target sample. An analytical tool used to assess product duration and determination. Test results show that the spread of Covid-19 has a positive impact on the education world. The study found that the spread of covid-19 affects the world of education.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed F. Safi ◽  
Maitha Alnuaimi ◽  
Abdelaziz Sartawi

Purpose Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face difficulty with educational attainment because of to their inability to interact with others. One intervention that is used to increase social skills in individuals with ASD is social stories. This study aimed at exploring the impact of digital social stories in improving social skills of two students with ASD in the UAE. Design/methodology/approach An experimental AB single-subject study was conducted to investigate the impact of digital social stories on nonverbal communication, targeting two specific behaviors: raising hands before leaving one’s seat (TB1) and playing and sharing toys with peers (TB2). Two digital social stories (DSS1 and DSS2) were developed for the purpose of this study and transformed using a digital platform to be displayed on an iPad (tablet). Findings This study involved two male participants with ASD (10 and 11 years old). Participant one demonstrated improvement in TB1 (mean of 1.11) because of DSS1 in the intervention phase. Participant two demonstrated improvement of 18% in TB2 ( mean of 0.18) as a result of DSS2 in the intervention phase. Practical implications Both students that participated in the study showed a positive change in their target behaviors during the intervention phase intervention at different levels. Using an ABA study design would have been stronger in establishing a more valid causal relation in this single-subject design study. However, due the COVID-19 closures and curfews, the researchers had to switch to the AB design. Originality/value This study demonstrated how social stories had a positive impact on ASD social skills. Further, it indicated the potential effectiveness of using digital social stories to reduce undesirable behaviors or increase a desirable behaviors in children who have ASD.


2010 ◽  
Vol 06 ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Rosario Pivonello ◽  
Renata S Auriemma ◽  
Mariano Galdiero ◽  
Ludovica FS Grasso ◽  
Annamaria Colao ◽  
...  

This article discusses the impact of long-term treatment of acromegaly on cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory and articular complications as well as on malignancies. The main goals of treatment of acromegaly include normalisation of biochemical markers of disease activity, improvement in signs and symptoms of the disease, removal or reduction of tumour mass and preservation of pituitary function, together with prevention of complications. Cardiovascular and respiratory complications are the main causes of morbidity and mortality, whereas neoplasms are a minor cause of increased risk of death. Other associated diseases are arthropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome and reproductive disorders. The prolonged elevation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I levels results in premature death, whereas strong biochemical control improves wellbeing and restores life expectancy to normal.


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