presented by: andrew clemons kelly kort, ma, ncc sandra hulme, m.ed. darlene groomes, ph.d., crc,...
TRANSCRIPT
Assistive Dogs as an Employment Support for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Presented by:
Andrew Clemons
Kelly Kort, MA, NCC
Sandra Hulme, M.Ed.
Darlene Groomes, Ph.D., CRC, LPC
Gary Mesibov, Ph.D.
APSE 2013Indianapolis, Indiana
Agenda and Basic Housekeeping
Brief introductions
Review research study and findings
Gallery walk (50 minutes)Three discussion break-outs, 15 minutes each, rotateWriting out input, disputes, and brainstorming with multidisciplinary
research team
Reconvene large group (15 minutes)
Texting and Notecard Questions/Comments517-896-9807
Email takeaways to participants within two weeks
Exploring Interactions with Dogs through OUCARES
Programming
Our purposeAdolescents with ASDDecrease stressIncrease pro-social behaviorEncourage adaptation to disability
Whether innovativeOutcomes from a social skills programDog interacting with one group
Research Specifics
Fourteen adolescent participants (12 males, 2 females; mean age= 13; mean school grade level= 7th) were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups
Both groups received six one-hour sessions (once per week, over six weeks)
Researchers designed the social skills curriculum; the content for both groups was identical
Delivery fluctuated due to the use of different instructors and utilization of the dog
Research Specifics
Participants and their families completed measures:Introductory Questionnaire Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC)Adaptation to Disability Scale-Revised (ADS-R) Autism Social Skills Profile (ASSP)
Findings
Qualitative analysesThemes analysis identifies themes of self-
assurance and openness toward othersOngoing coding analysis indicates increased
occurrence of pro-social behaviors in the experimental group compared to control group
Preliminary results suggest that HAI may provide a means of helping adolescents and family members to employ pro-social behaviors
Benefits
Social skill-building/enhancement experiences
Exposure to dog
Social interactionDesensitize and teach tolerance to those who state
apprehension around dogs
Professional service providers observed use of dogs as safe and effective for OUCARES programming
Benefits
Improved levels of emotional well-being from this experience during a time in development when peer interactions typically challenge mental health outlook
Parents/guardians, too, benefit from the engagement that they had with their child
Magic benefited from human contact, healthy treat rewards, and attention.
Risks and Challenges
Child could respond negatively to the dog or another child in the group.
The long-haired German Shepard, Magic, is a certified assistance dog, trained through For Better Independence Dogs in Mason, Michigan
https://www.facebook.com/ForbetterindependenceBeth and Gary Spanski
Gallery WalkThree topical interest areas, 15 minutes at each
HAI Integrated Employment Programs and Quality of Life HAI and Its Applications for Individuals Living with Autism in Integrated
Employment and Transition Settings Quality Mechanisms Needed in an HAI Integrated Employment Program
Lead facilitator will provide a brief context, info on slidesParticipants to dialogue, debate, deliberateFacilitator to scribe informationModerator will note time to shiftFacilitator of different interest area will shift
Reconvene in larger group with
“audience speaker” highlight
Topic context
DDD
Scribe
Moderator note
Facilitator
shift
15 minutes each
Text Questions and Comments: 517-896-9807
HAI Integrated Employment Programs and Quality of Life
• Implications of social skills on overall well-being
• WHO definition (1998)• Quality of life reflects the perception of individual’s life, in the context of their culture and value
system, that their needs are being satisfied and that they are not being denied opportunities to achieve happiness and fulfillment, regardless of physical health status, or social and economic conditions.
• HAI stimulates social interaction and social competence
• Advances in neuroscience have provided us with valid research into how the social brain works• The mechanisms by which oxytocin and vasopressin contribute to human social behavior
• The role of oxytocin and vasopressin in autism spectrum disorders
• Correlations between basal oxytocin levels and the strength of social and bonding behaviors
HAI Integrated Employment Programs and Quality of Life
• Oxytocin and vasopressin are emerging as targets for treatment approaches
• Prosocial effects of intranasal application of oxytocin
• Oxytocin released during certain types of HAI
• Potential link between HAI effects and the oxytocin system• Oxytocin and HAI effects largely overlap as documented by
research in both humans and animals
• Offers an explanation of the effects of HAI
• Advantages of using HAI to increase oxytocin levels• Non-medical interventions
• Additional benefits
HAI Applications
• For individuals living with autism• Integrated employment
• Transition settings• “Individuals with autism are generally not provided with the skills
necessary to successfully move from school to post-secondary education, integrated employment (including supported employment), adult services, independent living, or community participation”
• How to attain, maintain, & retain employment• “A review of the current literature on outcomes for adults with ASD
indicates that, independent of current ability levels, the vast majority of adults on the spectrum are either unemployed or underemployed and, further, that large numbers of adults with autism remain without any appropriate services.”
(Gerhardt, P.F. & Lainer, I., 2010)
HAI Applications
• Utilization of animals as a potential adaptive strategy• Occupational Therapy
• View as an assistive technology
• Alternative service/device • “To be effective in this expanding practice area, occupational therapists
must understand how persons with physical disabilities use their service dogs as an adaptive strategy and what factors affect the success of this strategy.”
• Increased development of independence, employable skills, and psychosocial functioning• “Service dogs provide common ground, bridging the differences that
may cause social isolation and facilitating a renewed sense of connection with others.”
(Camp, M.M., 2000)
HAI Program Design ConsiderationsADA titles I (employment) and III (public access)
definitions and regulations. Information on documentation and employer’s role
from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN).HAI: anxiety management, social skills, and behavior
assistance.Individualization: accommodations suited to the
neurodiversity of the individual and the unique employment environment.
Cycle of design, implementation, and evaluation: creating a cycle of service improvement.
Implementation and EvaluationWhat goals does the individual have for the
workplace?How can an assistance dog be utilized to promote
these goals?Can HAI be integrated into your organization’s
evaluation protocols?Remembering the cycle: Implementation is tied to
evaluation. All program aspects must be evaluated.
Optimizing Employment Retention
Key Questions:
With all of the positives, why are there still such challenges for workers living with ASD?
How can HAI be utilized to optimize long-term employment success for this individual in this work environment?
Optimizing Employment RetentionWhat We Know:
Successful and ongoing employment results from careful consideration of individual characteristics and implementation of proper supports (Hendricks, 2010).
We know that employment improves quality of life (Garcia-Villamisar et al., 2002) – creating a cycle of progress.
Successful employment is the primary aspiration of adults with ASD (Hendricks, 2010).
Employers value the trustworthiness, reliability, and low absenteeism of individuals living with ASD (Howlin et al., 1995; in Hendricks, 2010).
An individual’s strengths, and neurodevelopmental characteristics, may translate into unique job strengths.
For More Information
Darlene Groomes, Ph.D., CRC, LPCAssociate ProfessorPrincipal Investigator
To continue the DDD:
www.vocational-rehab.com“Resources” tab for copy of presentation
RPEN blog to continue our discussion and questioning
ReferencesBeetz, A., Uvnas-Moberg, K., Julius, H., & Kotrschal, K. (2012). Psychosocial and
psychophysiological effects of human-animal interactions: The possible role of oxytocin. Frontiers in Psychology, 3. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00234
Bellini, S., & Hopf, A. (2007). The development of the autism social skills profile: A preliminary analysis of psychometric profiles. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities,22(2), 80-87. doi: 10.1177/10883576070220020801
Camp, M.M. (2000). The use of service dogs as an adaptive strategy: A qualitative study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 55, 509-517.
Department of Justice. (2011). Title III regulations. Retrieved from: http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/titleIII_2010/titleIII_2010_withbold.htm
García-Villamisar, D., Wehman, P., & Navarro, M. D. (2002). Changes in the quality of autistic people’s life that work in supported and sheltered employment: A 5-year follow-up study, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 17(4), 309–312.
Gerhardt, P.F. & Lainer, I. (2010). Addressing the needs of adolescents and adults with autism: A crisis on the horizon. Journalism of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 41, 37-45.
Groomes, D. A. G., & Linkowski, D. (2007). Examining the structure of the acceptance of disability scale. The Journal of Rehabilitation, 73(3), 3-9.
Howlin, P., Jordan, R. R., & Evans, G. (1995). Distance Education Course in Autism (Adults, Module 3, Unit 3). University of Birmingham, School of Education. Birmingham: UK.
JAN: Job Accommodation Network. (2011). Accommodation and compliance series: Service animals in the workplace. Retrieved from: http://askjan.org/media/downloads/ServiceAnimalsintheWorkplace.pdf
ReferencesKurtz, A., & Jordan, M. (2008). Supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorders: Quality employment
practices. the institute brief. issue number 25. ICI professional development series. Institute for Community Inclusion. University of Massachusetts Boston. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/881466584?accountid=12924
March, J. S. (1999). Multidimensional anxiety scale for children manual. TX: Pearson.Meyer-Lindenberg, A., Domes, G., Kirsch, P., & Heinrichs, M. (2011). Oxytocin and vasopressin in the
human brain: Social neuropeptides for translational medicine. Nature Neuroscience, 12, 524-538. doi:10.1038/nrn3044
Modi, M. E., & Young, L. J. (2012). The oxytocin system in drug discovery for autism: Animal models and novel therapeutic strategies. Hormones and Behavior, 61, 340-350. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.01.010
Morgan, R. L., & Schultz, J. C. (2012). Towards an ecological, multi-modal approach to increase employment for young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 43(1), 27-35. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/963777414?accountid=12924
Standifer, S. (2009). Adult autism and employment: A guide for vocational rehabilitation professionals. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Health System: Disability Policy and Studies, School of Health Professions.
Striepens, N., Kendrick, K. M., Maier, W., & Hurlemann, R. (2011). Prosocial effects of oxytocin and clinical evidence for its therapeutic potential. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 32, 426-450. doi:10.1016/j.frne.2011.07.001
Tareen, R. S., & Kamboj, M. K. (2012). Role of endocrine factors in autistic spectrum disorders. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 59, 75-88. doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2011.10.013
Viau, R., Arsenault-Lapierre, G., Fecteau, S., Champagne, N., Walker, C., & Lupien, S. (2010). Effects of service dog on salivary cortisol secretion in autistic children. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 35, 1187-1193. doi:10.1016j.psyneuen.2010.02.004
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