Parents of children with variable levels of walking impairment perceive significant quality of life improvements in their children after six months of living with a mobility assistance dog, according to the first qualitative assessment of its type that provides important evidence in an area of growing therapeutic interest.
Specifically, the parents of 10 children aged 6-12 with neurological and/or physical impairments in their walking perceived improvements in most of the childrens' physical activity levels, as well as in their social engagement and family life.
The findings are reported in the journal Physical Therapy Reviews.
The six-month study was led by researchers from Trinity College Dublin, who were interested in the qualitative impacts of this novel therapy where children lived with specially trained mobility assistance dogs, provided by the national charity Dogs for Disabled.
Regarding physical activity, parents said their children walked for longer periods, had improved quality of walking, and had greater endurance. In addition, all parents said their children had increased steadiness and balance and most said they were able to negotiate difference surfaces better, such as walking on a beach.
Socially, parents felt the dogs facilitated interactions with other children and the public. They helped their children engage with others, with the dogs providing a topic of conversation.
In family life, parents noted the dogs had brought a positive energy and happiness to their homes, and families walked more together. And while all families reported extra work in the responsibility of caring for the dogs they felt the overall benefits outweighed any challenges and they were happy to take these on.
First author of the research, Dr Heather Kennedy, Trinity's School of Engineering, said: "Children with physical impairments often participate in significantly lower levels of habitual physical activity than their peers – below recommended guidelines – which state that therapies to improve function, participation and quality of life in children with additional needs should be fun, involve family, encourage fitness, improve function and develop future goals."
Michelle Spirtos, Head of Discipline of Occupational Therapy at Trinity, and senior author, added: "This research provides cause for optimism that mobility assistance dogs can improve the quality of life for children with walking impairments, as well as their families, in a number of different ways. Longer-term studies involving more participants will be helpful for us to learn more, but the early signs are very encouraging."
Ciaran Simms, Professor in Trinity's School of Engineering, is the principal investigator of the research. He said: "Related research from this group recently showed that physical improvements were greater in children whose walking impairments were less severe than those with more pronounced mobility issues, so this new research underlining parents' perceived improvement in quality of life for all the children in our cohort is particularly noteworthy."
"In addition to the perceived improvements in physical activity, social engagement and family life, some of the parents noted the dogs helped to motivate their children to be more active, while all of them said their children had greater confidence and self-belief, as well as linking the dogs to reducing anxiety."
Jennifer Dowler, CEO and Founder of Irish Dogs for Disabled, said: "It is a profound privilege for Dogs for the Disabled to embark on this first-of-its-kind research, a milestone made possible through the unwavering support of Trinity College Dublin, the CRC – Central Remedial Clinic – and the generosity of our valued funders. Their commitment empowers us to push the boundaries of knowledge, ensuring pioneering ideas flourish with lasting impacts for our children."
