Shelter Cat Adoption in Families of Children With Autism (Feline Friends)

NCT03625297 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2008460
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 11
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The overall purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the introduction of a shelter cat into the family of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder on the social skills and anxiety of the child, and to examine stress in the cat.

Conditions

Social Skills; Anxiety

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Social Skills of child with autism over time from baseline to 6, to 12 and to 18 weeks

  Social skills measured using the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale (SSiS-RS) with scores from 0-138.

  Control: Baseline, 6, 12 and 18 weeks Treatment: Baseline, 6, 12 and 18 weeks

• Change in Anxiety of child with autism over time from baseline to 6, to 12 and to 18 weeks

  Anxiety measured using the Screen for Child Related Anxiety Disorders (SCARED) with scores from 0-82.

  Control: Baseline, 6, 12 and 18 weeks Treatment: Baseline, 6, 12 and 18 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• change in parent Human-animal Bonding over time from 2-3 days, to 6, to 12 and 18 weeks

  Baseline, 6, 12 and 18 weeks Treatment: Baseline, 2-3 days, 6, 12 and 18 weeks

• change in child Human-animal Bonding over time from 2-3 days, to 6, to 12 and 18 weeks

  Baseline, 6, 12 and 18 weeks Treatment: Baseline, 2-3 days, 6, 12 and 18 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Shelter cat adoption control group

NO INTERVENTION

Families of children with autism will complete a control period with no intervention, then adopt a shelter cat after completion of the control period

shelter cat adoption

EXPERIMENTAL

Families of children with autism will adopt a shelter cat

Other: shelter cat

Interventions

shelter cat OTHER

families will adopt a shelter cat

shelter cat adoption

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 17 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• child with diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
• no cat currently living with the family
• willingness to adopt a shelter cat
• English speaking
• live within 125 miles of Columbia, Missouri

You may not qualify if:

• child with Autism Spectrum Disorder having any history of animal aggression
• children with cat allergies

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Missouri-Columbia: lead
• Winn Feline Foundation: collaborator
• Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Missouri

Columbia, Missouri, 65211, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Social Skills; Anxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Social Behavior; Behavior; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Gretchen K Carlisle, PhD

  University of Missouri-Columbia

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Research Scientist

Model Details: This study uses a two-group randomized, repeated measures design with a delayed treatment control group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 17, 2018
• First Posted: August 10, 2018
• Study Start: June 23, 2017
• Primary Completion: October 1, 2019
• Study Completion: October 1, 2019
• Last Updated: November 2, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-10

Locations

US (1)