A critical review on the use of service dogs for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and its application in Hong Kong

Abstract

Background: Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characteristically deficient in social awareness and communication skills, while displaying repetitive behaviours. Because of this, integration of individuals with ASD into society is often difficult as people do not know how to respond to their atypical behaviour. Particularly in Asian cultures, this vulnerable group is often subjected to stigmatization. However, recent literature has highlighted some benefits of assistive animal intervention (AAI) for individuals with ASD, which may improve their ability for social interaction. This review examines the effects of AAI in terms of service dogs for individuals with ASD. Methods: Journal articles were identified through a systematic review on psycINFO, Pubmed, Scholars Portal and Web of Knowledge. Additional searches were conducted for inclusion of grey literature and doctoral theses in the review. Results: Of the 170 studies initially found, 7 were selected; 3 cohort studies, 3 case-control studies, and 1 cross-sectional study. Reported outcomes included increased social reciprocity, decreased behavioural problems and decreased stress in individuals with ASD. Despite these positive outcomes, they should be taken with caution, as the designs of the seven studies included in this review show methodological weaknesses, such as small sample sizes and possible information bias from data collection. Conclusions: Additional research focused on varying age groups with ASD, longitudinal studies and standardized outcome measures are required for further research. What this review suggests though is that there is a need to address social services gaps for various disability groups, not just for those with ASD. Some legislative measures are in place in Hong Kong to support the accessibility of assistance dogs in public; however, since there are so few in Hong Kong, their exposure is not enough to gain widespread acceptance. Expansion of assistance dog services to serve other disability groups may help to enhance their quality of life.