A pet dog may provide just as many benefits, especially inside homes, as a full-service dog for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), according to new research from Cosmin Coltea, a master’s student in psychology.
“Family dogs (companion dogs) without special training provide numerous benefits to families with children who have autism,” says Coltea.
In 2008, Coltea and his supervisor, Shelley Parlow, confirmed that children with ASD can and do bond with their companion dogs and that the children who were more attached to their dogs also displayed better language skills.
This year, Coltea conducted the first study to investigate how companion dogs fit in families with children with ASD and those without. He conducted qualitative interviews with 20 families that included 19 mothers, seven fathers and five children. These families owned a total of 25 dogs.
Cosmin Coltea
“I found that the dogs offered similar physical, social and emotional supports, including companionship, to both autistic and non-autistic children,” says Coltea. “Unlike non-autistic children, my research showed that in some cases children with ASD learned about the world through their dogs. The kids were able to relate more quickly to their pets than to people, and dogs sometimes acted as a replacement for human friends.”
For parents, Coltea found that the companion dogs also had a number of positive effects that ranged from increased socialization to preparation for being parents. However, the dogs could also disrupt daily schedules, provide stress due to misbehaviour and become a financial burden.
For families, Coltea discovered that the pet dogs could act as “glue,” especially for families split by divorce. “They seemed to increase the well-being of families by increasing quality time between parents and children, mediating family conflicts and, for families with autistic children, decrease stress and act as a learning tool.”
Coltea says his research points to a new theoretical model for the interaction between companion animals and people, based on the interactions and characteristics of each person and the companion dog. This fall in collaboration with the City of Ottawa, he started a unique program for children with ASD and their companion dogs. The course involves learning about dog communication, behavior, grooming, obedience exercises, tricks, as well as teamwork between children.
Coltea says he is delighted at news that Ontario has pledged $25 million to expand services for families with autism. “I am hopeful that, in the near future, services that incorporate companion animals will be considered for funding as my research shows there are strong benefits for these families and it would be great to offer them this service.”