Canine assisted therapy, a support in the development of social skills and communication of children with autism spectrum disorder

SUMMARY: This thesis deals with canine assisted therapy as a support in the development of social skills and communication of children with autism spectrum disorder and is based on the professional literature and analysis of the therapy's influence on the development of personality in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The introduction describes autism spectrum disorders, emphasising their social characteristics and communication of individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The second part deals with canine assisted therapy, its methods and forms, as well as, its specific pedagogical use. The third part of the thesis studies the case of a boy with autism spectrum disorder who regularly attended canine assisted therapy. This thesis uses the following methodology: analysis of professional literature, participant observation, informal interview, questionnaire, video analysis and the case study data analysis. This thesis concludes in the finding that canine assisted therapy supports the development of social skills and non-verbal communication of children with autism spectrum disorder. The support of canine assisted therapy in the development of verbal communication of children with autism spectrum disorder was not proven. The results gained in this thesis may contribute to a more frequent use of..