According to a new study, children with autism can find essential companionship with the family dog, a point of interest for travel therapy professionals who work with children who have autism.
For the research, a team of investigators from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine interviewed 70 parents of kids with autism. The researchers found that almost 2 out of 3 families owned a dog, and of those, 94 percent reported that their children formed a bond with the four-legged friend. What's more, even in families without canine pets, 70 percent of parents said their children with autism liked dogs.
"Children with autism spectrum disorders often struggle with interacting with others, which can make it difficult for them to form friendships," study lead author Gretchen Carlisle, a research fellow at the university's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction, said in a school news release. "Children with autism may especially benefit from interacting with dogs, which can provide unconditional, nonjudgmental love and companionship to the children."
Dogs may serve as a social lubricant for kids, Carlisle added. For instance, children with autism may find it hard to interact with other kids at school and in the neighborhood. Yet if the autistic students invite their peers over to play with the dog, then the pet can act as a bridge of communication between them.
As those working on travel therapy jobs might know, working with patients with autism can be challenging to connect, but bringing up the subject of a pet could help engage them.
The findings, published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing, highlighted other advantages of having a dog, including stress relief, companionship as well as giving children with autism an opportunity to learn responsibility.
While taking care of a dog is no doubt a big investment of time, love and money, there are charities like Autism Support Dogs that provide the trained pets free of charge.
Not only can a dog help improve the social isolation of a child with autism, it can also help reduce stress for the parents and family members who have a lot on their plate. Studies have shown that pets have the ability to boost one's mood, according to WebMD.
While man's best friend may indeed be a child's best friend, the researchers pointed out that other animals also suit children with autism. Pets such as cats, rabbits and horses can help kids with autism and their particular sensitivities and interests.