Pet Dogs Can Improve the Social Skills of Children with Autism

Dogs and other pets play an important part in people's social lives. Now, though, scientists have found that they may have a huge influence on children with autism. Researchers have discovered that having a pet dog can improve the social skills of children with autism.

"When I compared the social skills of children with autism who lived with dogs to those who did not, the children with dogs appeared to have greater social skills," said Gretchen Carlisle, one of the researchers, in a news release. "More significantly, however, the data revealed that children with any kind of pet in the home reported being more likely to engage in behaviors such as introducing themselves, asking for information or responding to other people's questions. These kinds of social skills typically are difficult for kids with autism, but this study showed children's assertiveness was greater if they lived with a pet."

Pets can be "social lubricants" for children. For example, when pets are present in social settings or in a classroom, children talk and engage more with one another. This could explain why pets can help increase the assertiveness of children with autism.

"When children with disabilities take their service dogs out in public, other kids stop and engage," said Carlisle. "Kids with autism don't always readily engage with others, but if there's a pet in the home that the child is bonded with and a visitor starts asking about the pet, the child may be more likely to respond."

In fact, autistic children's social skills increased the longer a family had owned a dog. Yet older children rated their relationships with their dogs as weaker. In addition, the researchers found that the children had the strongest attachments to smaller dogs.

"Dogs are good for some kids with autism but might not be the best option for every child," said Carlisle. "Kids with autism are highly individual and unique, so some other animals may provide just as much benefit as dogs. Though parents may assume having dogs are best to help their children, my data show greater social skills for children with autism who live in homes with any type of pet."

The findings are published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

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