Having a Dog Helps Autistic Children Develop Stronger Social Skills

A survey of 70 families with at least one autistic child found that autistic children who lived with at least one dog had stronger social skills than autistic children who lived in dog-free homes. Social skills are typically difficult for kids with autism to develop, but the study showed those children who owned a dog were “more likely to engage in behaviors such as introducing themselves, asking for information or responding to other people’s questions.”
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, October 2014