Comparing the Effectiveness of Behavioral Management Approaches with Therapeutic Horseback Riding to Promote Receptive Social Skills in Children with Autism

This study examined and compared the effects of applied behavior analysis treatments in conjunction with therapeutic horseback riding (THR) and the improvement of social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The research study compared the effectiveness of behavior management approaches during three conditions (THR, THR with token reinforcement, and THR with visual cues) using a single-subject research design to determine the “best treatment” for improving receptive social skills among children with ASD (N=4). During the comparison phase, the researcher determined the frequency rate of receptive social skills among each condition to determine the most effective approach in facilitating observed social skills. While results of this study indicated that all three conditions were effective, token reinforcement used in conjunction with THR was the most effective in producing the highest frequency rate of receptive social communications.