Testing a Group Program With Therapy Dogs for Children With Autism
Tests a group program with therapy dogs for emotion control in children with autism.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Evaluating Additive Effects of Including Canines in Regulating Together
Key facts
- Where
- Cincinnati, United StatesSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 8 and 15 years old?
Source: NCT05803343, who can take part
Where in United States
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnati, United StatesTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati
- Trial code
- NCT05803343
- Record updated
- 8 July 2026
- Original description
The primary objective is to evaluate the potential additive effect of animal-assisted intervention (AAI) on a manualized behavioral treatment targeting emotion dysregulation (ED) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Read full original descriptionShow less
Evaluating Additive Effects of Including Canines in Regulating Together: A Group Treatment to Address Emotion Dysregulation in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder
The primary objective is to evaluate the potential additive effect of animal-assisted intervention (AAI) on a manualized behavioral treatment targeting emotion dysregulation (ED) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Aim 1: Evaluate whether Regulating Together-Canine demonstrates earlier and greater improvement in emotion dysregulation than Regulating Together-Standard.
Aim 2: Evaluate if Regulating Together-Canine increases child engagement and learning compared to Regulating Together-Standard.
Exploratory Aim: Explore association of physiological arousal (via heart rate tracking) with emotion dysregulation, treatment engagement, and learning.
Inclusion: Concern of emotion dysregulation (ED) as measured by a score of 6 or greater on the Emotion Dysregulation Inventory-Reactivity (EDI-R); Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD); Diagnosis confirmed by an experienced ASD clinician and further supported by scoring in the range for ASD on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2); A Full Scale Intelligence Quotient score of 65 or greater on the Weschler Abbreviated Scale Intelligence (WASI-II); English is the primary language; Family willing to keep prescribed medication stable over the course of the study period.
Exclusion: Participant has a phobia toward or is allergic to canines; Participant has a history of aggression toward animals; Presence of comorbid major neuropsychiatric illness warranting other treatment approaches as determined by the study clinician(s) including substance use disorders, psychotic disorders/schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, among others; Presence of any major sensory impairment that would limit participating in the material including blindness or uncorrected hearing loss; Participant has had any physical aggression toward other children outside the home in the past 2 weeks that resulted in injury; A legal guardian is not available to provide informed consent.