Children with autism who live with pets are more assertive
December 30, 2014
University of MissouriColumbia
Dogs and other pets play an important role in individuals’ social lives, and they can act as catalysts for social
interaction, previous research has shown. Although much media attention has focused on how dogs can improve the
social skills of children with autism, a University of Missouri researcher recently found that children with autism have
stronger social skills when any kind of pet lived in the home.
“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, research fellow at the Research Center for HumanAnimal
Interaction (ReCHAI) in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. “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 often serve as “social lubricants,” Carlisle said. When pets are present in social settings or a classroom, children
talk and engage more with one another. This effect also seems to apply to children with autism and could account for
their increased assertiveness when the children are living in a home with pets, Carlisle said.
“When children with disabilities take their service dogs out in public, other kids stop and engage,” Carlisle said. “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.”
Carlisle also found that children’s social skills increased the longer a family had owned a dog, yet older children rated
their relationships with their dogs as weaker. When children were asked, they reported the strongest attachments to
smaller dogs, Carlisle found.
“Finding children with autism to be more strongly bonded to smaller dogs, and parents reporting strong attachments
between their children and other pets, such as rabbits or cats, serves as evidence that other types of pets could benefit
children with autism as well,” Carlisle said.
Carlisle surveyed 70 families who had children with autism between the ages of 8 and 18.The children were patients at
the MU Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. 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.”
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by University of Missouri Columbia. The original article was written
by Fran Webber. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
1. Gretchen K. Carlisle. The Social Skills and Attachment to Dogs of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s1080301422677
ScienceDaily: Children with autism who live with pets are more assertive
