“A dog is a man’s best friend” is a saying we have all heard. In addition to dogs being the most loyal animal to people, recent research has shown that having dogs can also bring health benefits for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Autistic children tend to struggle socially and companion animals are said to be able to facilitate new social interactions for these children. For example, more people are likely to approach an autistic child with a dog and through the dog, the child will be involved in more social situations, improving their social skills and making friends.
Additionally, it is said animals are more ready to react passionately to attention, making them great as the emotional connection between a therapist and child with ASD. One study shows that incorporating therapy dogs in a social skills intervention for children with ASD decreased symptoms of depression and feelings of loneliness.
There has also been evidence to show that pet dogs aid families of children with ASD. It reduces parental stress which is linked to parent-child dysfunctional relationships. This benefits all families but particularly those with autistic children as these children are often more stubborn and may struggle to verbalise their thoughts to their parents. In a study examining the effect of integrating service dogs into ten households with an autistic child, family members reported improvement in the calmness, motor function and compliance with parents’ directive of the child after the inclusion of the service dog.
After learning about the positive effects of pets, especially dogs, on a child with ASD, my parents and I are considering adding a dog to our family for my brother Andrew. Although there is certainly more research to be done on this topic, it definitely appears to be a great way to improve the livelihoods of autistic children and those who live with them.
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