Comparison of Play-based training and Riding on the key social dimensions of Stanford in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Examining the theory of social motivation

Document Type : Original article

Authors

1 Movement behavior, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 tehran university

3 Assistant Professor of Motor Behavior,Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

4 Associate proffesor

10.22037/sjrm.2024.117308.3279

Abstract

Background:Social motivation can be described as the regulation of mechanisms that lead people to adapt to the social world, seek and enjoy social interactions, and try to cultivate and maintain social bonds. The purpose of this research is to compare the effect of Play-based training and Riding on the key social dimensions of Stanford in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.

Materials and Methods: This research is a semi-experimental type with a pre-test-post-test design with two experimental groups (1-Play-based training, 2-Riding) and a control group. The participants of the current research were 36 adolescents aged 10 to 16 years with high-functioning ASD who were selected as available. The experimental groups underwent intervention for 8 weeks. Before and after the intervention, Stanford's key social dimensions questionnaire was filled by the subjects' parents. Paired t-test and analysis of covariance were used for intra-group and inter-group comparisons, respectively.



Findings: The results of the correlated t-test showed that a significant improvement was observed in all key social dimensions in the horse therapy and play therapy groups from pre-test to post-test (P<0.05). The results of covariance analysis showed that between the three groups of horse-therapy, play-therapy and control in all subtest scores of social motivation (P<0.0005), social dependence (P<0.0005), social communication (P<0.0005), social cognition (P<0.0005) and unusual approach (P<0.0005), there is a significant difference in the post-test stage. The results of the follow-up test showed that the horse therapy group had significantly better scores in social motivation, social dependence, social communication and social cognition than the play therapy group.



Conclusion: Autistic people show higher social motivation in the presence of horses. The use of natural environments and animals in the case of people with ASD leads to the development of their key social dimensions.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 29 July 2024
  • Receive Date: 11 June 2024
  • Revise Date: 21 July 2024
  • Accept Date: 29 July 2024
  • First Publish Date: 29 July 2024