The Benefits of Pet Ownership for Children with Autism
“And there it was, that lump in my throat…
Everyone once in a while the Human Animal Bond is palpable.
I feel it even after 17 years of Small Animal Medicine.”
A few weeks ago, my next client appeared around the corner of the treatment room, he was a clean cut older gentle man. He reminded me of someone from the 40’s, well slicked back hair, white t shirt, belt and blue jeans. He laid his dog on the table. I examined the dog that was showing multiple signs of a dog that was well past his prime. After further examination I regrettably determined that his dog had advanced stages of cancer and that it appeared to have spread to multiple areas of his body.
And there it was that lump in my throat as I looked at this gentleman loving look at his dog and say.
“Well, it was you and me for a long time and now it’s just going to be me”.
I could feel the love and companionship this dog had offered his owner, they were a team.
Our pets become part of our lives and reach deep inside us where no one else can reach. This amazing human animal bond impacts all ages.
“No symphony orchestra has ever played music like a child laughing with a puppy”
Bern Williams
In honor of National Autism Awareness Month I thought I would dedicate this Blog to discussing the topic of the benefits of pet ownership for children with Autism.
An article published by the American Kennel Club author, Liv Donovan, states “Dogs have been credited with providing us with a host of benefits—lowering blood pressure and stress levels, increasing social skills, and even possibly boosting the immune system—but the services they provide for individuals with autism goes even further.
More and more studies have been published in recent years revealing the positive effect therapy dogs can make in an autistic individual’s life. Autism Speaks has an entire section on its website dedicated to “autism and dogs,” in which scientific studies relating to research on this area are posted.
Dr. Gretchen Carlisle, research fellow at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, recent studies showed that dogs can increase social skills, especially independence, assertiveness and confidence, in autistic children. "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," says Gretchen Carlisle, who conducted one study on behalf of Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network. "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."
How is this possible?
Dr. Gretchen Carlisle explains that when children with autism have difficulty interacting with others, a dog can help overcome this difficulty by opening an opportunity for the child to invite peers to play with the dog. The dog then serves as a bridge to aid communication between children with autism and their peers.
The findings of research like Carlisle’s provides a deeper understanding of the ways that companion animals help improve human lives. Carlisle sees a companionship benefit between dogs and children with autism.
Dr. Carlisle recognizes that there are other pets that may be a better choice for some families. Almost 70 percent of the families that participated had dogs, and about half of the families had cats.
Other pets owned by participants included fish, farm animals, rodents, rabbits, reptiles, a bird and even one spider.
'Dogs are good for some kids with autism but might not be the best option for every child,' Carlisle said. '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.'2
Point to Consider
- The choice to bring a dog into a home should always be well thought out
- Children with autism who are easily agitated or who have noise sensitivities may experience difficulties with dogs that are active or that bark
- Consideration needs to be given to the type of animal being brought into the home. Taking time to research breeds and make sure they are a good fit for your family is always an important step.
As I experienced just a few weeks ago with my elderly client, the human animal bond is real and is an amazing thing. Dr. Carlisle’s research shows that children with autism may especially benefit from interacting with pets because they provide unconditional, nonjudgmental love and companionship,” If you have experienced the human animal bond in your life through the unconditional love of a pet, you will know that the benefits of this kind of bond not only help children with Autism but benefit all of us.
I encourage all of us to learn a little more about Autism so we can offer the same unconditional love and non judgmental interaction as our fellow canines and pets.
To Your Pet’s Good Health,
Dr. Barry DVM
References:
http://www.akc.org/content/entertainment/articles/how-dogs-help-children-with-autism/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2895069/Are-PETS-key-treating-autism-Researchers-say-children-pets-far-better-social-skills.
