Parental perspectives of occupational therapy in an equine environment for children with autism spectrum disorder: a theoretical qualitative analysis

2019 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Objective: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience difficulties in occupational performance, which can limit the abilities of both the child and family to participate in valued activities and roles. Occupational therapists have provided equine-assisted interventions (EAIs) to children with ASD to address these difficulties with promising results. The purpose of this study was to assess parental perspectives on the appropriateness of a novel EAI, occupational therapy in an equine environment (OTee). Appropriateness includes the psychosocial aspects of the consumer's experience and whether the consumer believes the intervention beneficially addressed their healthcare needs (Evans, 2003). Method: This thesis is comprised of three chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to the study that provides an extensive review of the literature, develops a conceptual framework of appropriateness, and describes research methods. The second chapter is a manuscript written for submission to the journal Occupational Therapy in Healthcare in which I present a condensed version of the complete thesis. I employed qualitative theoretical analysis to analyze parental perspectives on the appropriateness of OTee. Five parents completed semi-structured interviews in which they discussed their child's experience of the service and the influence of their child's participation on their child's and family's daily lives. The third chapter is a reflection on the thesis process in which I additionally consider the contribution of this thesis to the field of occupational therapy and the influence completing this thesis had on me as a scholar and person. Results: Regarding the results of the second chapter, children experienced the service positively due to qualities of the horse and the occupational therapists' ability to integrate tenants of occupational therapy. Prominent areas of carryover to everyday life included an increase in calmness, an increase in social skills, facilitating the parent role, and promoting positive family experiences, among others. The frequency and length of the service, as well as maintenance of effects, concerned the parents. Conclusion: Findings contribute information on the development of a novel approach to occupational therapy intervention that incorporates horses. Next research steps include examining areas of concern and comparing the appropriateness of the service to the appropriateness of occupational therapy in a traditional service context