How Autism Therapy Dogs Transform Lives

Recent interest in Animal-Assisted Therapy (ATT) has parents wondering if dog-assisted therapy is a good support for their child with autism. This article details the benefits, research, and available resources.

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has gained momentum in treating individuals with ASD due to the social-emotional benefits dog-assisted therapy provides. Recent researchers have highlighted the calming effects of dog-therapists, the increased development of social skills, and the better regulation of emotions of patients (Wijker et al., 2020).

Dog-therapists are non-judgmental, fabulous companions for individuals who struggle with isolation or human interaction. Not all pets can become therapy dogs.

Dog Ownership vs. Dog-Assisted Therapy

Researchers have mainly studied dog therapists’ effects during ATT, but little research on how dog ownership affects children with ASD exists. Hall et al. (2016) evaluated the impact a family (pet) dog has on children with ASD’s social skills, adaptation, and conflict resolution. Hall and colleagues concluded that regardless of family features, a family dog’s presence positively impacted social skills development, including reduced depression and anxiety in children with ASD.

The recent science

A recent study by Morales-Moreno et al. (2020) highlights therapy dogs’ use as an effective holistic treatment for patients with ASD. The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of therapy dogs as co-therapists to improve social skills, language, and emotional responses.
This study is unique from previous studies, which have only tested the effectiveness of therapy dogs with children but not adults.

Participants in the study ranged from ages 6 to 45, receiving traditional therapy with human therapists, including nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, and physical therapists. Also, an experimental group received the same services as the control group with the addition of a dog therapist, a two-year-old, and a seven-month-old Labrador Retriever. This four-legged friend increases smiling, expressing emotions, verbal responses, social interactions, motivation, and the ability to concentrate when compared with therapies without animal assistance.

Therapy activities

Researchers implemented group therapy and individual therapy depending on the activity. For example, group dog walking promoted interest in participation in group activities. Patients stimulated language development by giving a sign or oral response to the animal assistant co-therapist.

Researchers used the dog therapist to demonstrate good personal hygiene practices for self-care teaching, such as teeth brushing or cleaning. Therapists practiced teaching cognitive skills such as working memory by asking the patient to recall the dog’s name or remember activities from previous sessions.

The dog therapist helps promote social relationships with others in a group setting. Fine motor skills are developed by having the patient compare the dog therapist’s movement of extremities to the patient’s. AAT dogs commonly know basic commands, which allow the patient to play games with the dogs and others.

Results

Overall, dog-assisted therapy has tremendous positive effects on individuals with ASD. Dog-assisted therapy is a holistic way to improve behavior, language, and comprehension in individuals with ASD, leading to the most vital purpose of the therapy itself: a better quality of life (Morales-Moreno et al., 2020).