Dogs, cats, birds, rodents and even goldfish, autistic children who live with a pet are more sociable than others.
Researchers at the University of Missouri (United States) conducted a study to understand whether pets had a favorable impact on the development of sociability in autistic children. They interviewed 70 families with a sick child.
The majority (70%) owned a dog, half a cat. Among them, some also lived with rodents, rabbits, birds and even reptiles or a spider.
The results of this study show that these children autistic come into contact more easily with strangers.
“Children who have any pet are more likely to have social behaviors like introducing themselves to someone, asking for information, or answering other people’s questions,” Gretchen noted. Carlisle, researcher at the Center for Research on Human-Animal Interactions (ReCHAI). “When children with disabilities take their dogs out, the other children stop and talk. Children with autism do not easily reach out to others, but if there is an animal at home, the child is attached to it, and a visitor starts talking about the animal, the child is over. chances of responding, ”says Gretchen Carlisle.
Find the right pet for each child
“Dogs are good for some children with autism, but not necessarily the best option for every child,” says Gretchen Carlisle. “Even though parents assume that having a dog is the best option for their child, my data shows that children with autism have better social skills when they live with any pet. “
The National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) estimates that 100,000 young people under the age of 20 have a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) in France and that childhood autism affects around 30,000 people. between them.
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