Group Changes in Cortisol and Heart Rate Variability of Children with Down Syndrome and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder during Dog-Assisted Therapy
Richard E. Griffioen,
Geert J. M. van Boxtel,
Theo Verheggen,
Marie-Jose Enders-Slegers,
Steffie Van Der Steen
Affiliations
Richard E. Griffioen
Department of Animal Assisted Interventions, Aeres University of Applied Sciences, De Drieslag 4, 8251 JZ Dronten, The Netherlands
Geert J. M. van Boxtel
Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Professor Cobbenhagenlaan, 5037 AB Tilburg, The Netherlands
Theo Verheggen
Department of Psychology and Education, Open University The Netherlands, Valkenburgerweg 177, 6419 AT Heerlen, The Netherlands
Marie-Jose Enders-Slegers
Department of Psychology and Education, Open University The Netherlands, Valkenburgerweg 177, 6419 AT Heerlen, The Netherlands
Steffie Van Der Steen
Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands
Dog-assisted therapy is hypothesized to lower stress in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and children with Down syndrome (DS), which may be visible on a physiological level. In this study, we measured heart rate variability (HRV) and salivary cortisol of 20 children with DS or ASD at the beginning and end of six weekly sessions of dog-assisted therapy. We found a decrease of cortisol levels during single sessions, but no overall effect after six sessions (six weeks). The effect of dog-assisted therapy on the increase of HRV could not be confirmed. This study is one of the first to use physiological measurements to test the effects of DAT.
