are dogs good for autistic children?

Question

i would like to know peoples opinions on this as my four year old boy has autism..great eyecontact and very loving

Answer 1

great for encouraging social interaction.

also great for encouraging independent behavior as you can begin to show him how to look after a dog.

a dog is also something that you can both play with/walk with together.

Answer 2

My friend has two autistic children which have met my three dogs which all got on fine. I think my friend was more worried to them all meeting not knowing how either would react, but i have found my dogs to be understanding in some way around people with diabilities of different sorts. However i would not fully trust any dog tobe left completley alone with a child of any age as you never can be 100 per cent sure if the child or dog may by accident play a bit rough and hurt the other. But then again pets can be great therepy in many circumstances. Try ringing your local vet for advice you may be suprised what they can tell you, or a autistic support group may help.
good luck

Answer 3

It all depends on the individual. I work with teenagers who have autism and every week a volunteer brings a little itty bitty dog in to do pet therapy with the students, well one of mine who is built like a house is terrified of the thing, and the dog is smaller then this students head, he runs away if he even catches a glimpse of the dog down the hallway. We don;t bring it into our classroom because he is afraid of it. Some of the students however get a really great experience from the dog.

Answer 4

They can be. I'd contact an organization that trains service dogs. The dog will need to be very calm and of even temperment and very forgiving. I've seen many stories of autistic children being given a service dog who really benefit from having the dog around. But I can't stress enough to look for a trained service dog, not just any ole dog.

Answer 5

Boy am I glad I found your question.
This is something right down my alley
Yes dogs have a way they seance your autistic child is different and bond very closely
and deeply.
we Have 2 dogs and a 13 year old autistic son.
and the love between them is ausom.
and if you know wear to look on the web you can get the dogs registered as serves animals
God bless.
and have a good day

Answer 6

Yes absolutely. I've seen great results introducing my dog (black lab/golden retriever mix) to the autistic kids I've worked with. I also saw a program (Animal Planet, maybe?) about a dog who was actually trained as an "autism dog". So there's definitely potential there. I would recommend a golden retriever - they're super-laid back and easy-going, and generally tolerate kids well.

Answer 7

Dogs are good for most people. Many hospitals, hospices and care homes have regular 'dog visitors'.
An older dog would probably be better as it would see your son as a youngster and be more considerate.
Try asking a reputable animal rescue shelter. They usually know their animals better than anyone.
I don't know how local you are, but try www.woodgreen.org.uk for a start. If they are too far away, they should be able to put you in contact with someone closer.
I did see another website that claimed to be specifically for placing dogs with autistic children - www.northstar.com, I think. But being a .com address could be anywhere!

Answer 8

It really depends...there are several different degrees of autism, from highly functioning to minor functioning. But therapy dogs are great, horses are also good. Alot of children with various disabilities have horse therapy. But it does depend on the severity of the autism, since children with autism have a tendency to kick, push & handle things roughly. Your specialist can surely provide you with much more detailed information about the use of therapy dogs...

Answer 9

Dogs are awesome therapy for many different types of illnesses. It is a fact that dogs lower blood pressure in most people! The question is, does your son like dogs? Will he be able to treat the dog with respect? If so, then I would say yes! It will teach him a number of qualities that he might not get otherwise. Good Luck!

Answer 10

Autism is a sensitive and still relatively unknown subject, as different children react differently in situations.

Dogs have proven to be VERY good for MOST children with autism, both from a companionship standpoint, and a safety standpoint.

You can read more about it in my sources...

Answer 11

Yes, I train service dogs and we just placed a golden retriever with two autistic children. They are about 5 years old. It has done wonders for their family. It has made such a difference. I would definitely recommend getting a dog. I would check into service dog organizations in your area.