The effect of eight weeks of horse therapy on types of aggression in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder using The Children's Scale of Hostility and Aggression – Reactive/Proactive(C- SHARP)

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder exhibit a variety of aggressive behaviors such as physical and verbal aggression. Despite the growing prevalence of this disorder, research on horse therapy is limited for these individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of eight weeks of horse therapy on the types of aggression in ASD adolescents using The Children's Scale of Hostility and Aggression – Reactive/ Proactive (C- SHARP). For this purpose, 24 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder participated in the present study using the available sampling method. Then, based on the variables of age, gender and the degree of disorder in autism, they were matched in an experimental group (n = 12) and a control group (n = 12). Each participant in the experimental group was individually treated by a trainer for eight weeks (five days in week). Changes in aggression were assessed through The Children's Scale of Hostility and Aggression – Reactive/ Proactive (C- SHARP). The results showed that the horse therapy training program had a significant effect on improving and reducing the aggressive behaviors of the experimental group compared to the control group (p <0.05). Thus, with appropriate intervention, this group of people have the opportunity to express their emotions, emotions through appropriate treatment, in a social way, so they show less aggression. As a result, horse therapy interventions can be used as an effective way to control the aggressive behavior of adolescents with ASD.