Demonstrating Deep Pressure Therapy with Gryffin
Author: Sarah Huetter | Major: Nursing | Semester: Fall 2023
As a senior nursing student in the College of Education and Health Professions, I have worked alongside Dr. Michele Kilmer, faculty of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing, and other nursing students to research the human-animal interaction between a therapy canine and children at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The fall 2023 semester consisted of analyzing and coding animal-assisted therapy (AAT) sessions recorded from August 2022 through July 2023. In previous semesters, I attended AAT sessions and observed Dr. Kilmer, helping to train and command the therapy canine during the sessions.
This was the final semester of my research, concluding the analysis of our coded data, yielding significant results for our research objectives. Our research objectives focused on children at risk for ASD with varying verbal abilities, ethnicities, and ages. The research involved observing for any differences in canine behavior and human interaction with the therapy canine. To record canine behaviors the 3 AAT Ethogram was used to observe canine avoidance, affiliative, and stress behaviors during the therapy sessions. Human-animal interaction was also recorded using the OHAIRE Coding System which evaluates human social behaviors that may or may not include animals. Though our mixed-methods study is a preliminary study with more research to be done, conclusions can be made that animal-assisted therapy provided positive results in all participants regardless of verbal ability, ethnicity, and age.
With my mother as a nurse practitioner, I grew up with a familiarity of the healthcare industry. I always knew I wanted to be a part of it, especially once my family got involved with a nonprofit called Gigi’s Playhouse, a program for individuals of all ages with Down Syndrome. I learned more about children and adults with Down Syndrome, especially the importance of inclusion and support. This fueled my research and passion to get involved with something similar for my thesis. I found Dr. Kilmer through another professor in the nursing program, connecting us because of my similar interests and passion. Dr. Kilmer told me of her training and research with her therapy canine, Gryffin. I instantly knew that this would be a unique opportunity I could not pass on.
From this experience, I learned not only about coding and how to conduct proper research, I learned more about the pediatric population with ASD, training therapy canines, and how I can apply this to my practice in the future. There were several challenges in the last year and a half, specifically learning curves when it came to coding data and interpreting it. It took several weeks to code all 13 participants in our study, which came with many questions regarding how we mark each behavior. Some behaviors were subjective, so it was up to the student coding to decide whether to include the behavior in the data. Ultimately, we communicated these questions and came to conclusions on how to code these subjective behaviors. Dr. Kilmer and other nursing students, Allison Reichel and Madelyn Bowden, were remarkably helpful and hardworking throughout the entire process of the study. Everyone worked hard to get the research completed in an efficient and accurate way. Dr. Kilmer was always quick to answer questions and is an incredible teacher and mentor. This research and learning opportunity would not be possible without her consistent support and brilliant mind!
This December 2023 I am graduating and plan to move to Kansas City, MO to work at Children’s Mercy as a pediatric nurse on a Postoperative/trauma/burn unit. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities provided to me at the University of Arkansas. I plan to always hold this study dear to me, using the information I learned and applying it to my practice as a pediatric nurse. This study would not have been achieved without the support from the Honors College!