A systematic review of canine-assisted therapy and its effect on social behaviours in autistic children
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Date
2025
Authors
Shanley, Aoife Anne
Egan, Jonathan
Larkin, Fionnuala
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Volume Title
Publisher
Clinical Psychology Today
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Abstract
Introduction: Assisted-animal interventions (AAI) have become a popular therapy for people with ASD.1, 2 Little is known about the clinical effects of canineassisted therapy on social behaviours in children with autism. Method: An integrative systematic review was used to investigate the effects of canine assisted therapy on social behaviours. Sixteen articles met the criteria for inclusion in this review. Three main themes for intervention outcomes were found: (A) Non-Verbal Behaviour, (B) Verbal Behaviour and (C) Social Communication with Body Language. Six sub-themes were identified; these included Smiling, Eye Contact, Speech, Positive Statements, Synchrony and Confidence. Results: The results showed that canineassisted therapy may have a positive effect on social behaviours in autistic children, including on non-verbal behaviour, verbal behaviour, and social communication with body language. However, the quality and rigour of studies suggest that future studies should include wait-list controls as well as pre-post and follow-up designs, as well as
RCTs. Improvement in design and sample size will help strengthen assertions regarding to AAI’s possible benefits.
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Keywords
Assisted-animal interventions (AAI) , ASD , Integrative systematic review , Autism
Citation
Shanley, A. A., Egan, J. and Larkin, F. (2025) ‘A systematic review of canine-assisted therapy and its effect on social behaviours in autistic children’, Clinical Psychology Today, 9(1), pp. 20-46. Available at: https://clinicalpsychologytoday.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/clinical-psych-today-sep03_2025.pdf (Accessed: 13 November 2025)
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© 2025, the Authors. Published by Clinical Psychology Today.