What are the Studies About How Getting an Autism Service Dog Helps?
One peer-reviewed study about Autism Service Dogs reported:
- “Highly significant increase in pro-social behavior with a parallel decrease in self-absorption."
- "Fewer autistic behaviors (e.g., hand-posturing, humming and clicking noises, spinning objects, repetitive jumping, roaming)."
- "More socially appropriate ones (e.g., joining the therapist in simple games, initiating activities by giving the therapist balloons to blow up, balls to throw, reaching up for hugs, and frequently imitating the therapist's actions).”
- Interestingly, at post-treatment and follow-up meetings when there was no service dog present, the children performed better than before the treatment, but this improvement in behavior declined as the time since the children’s interaction with the dog increased
This early study offers evidence these dogs might complement existing therapy techniques – especially when the children are taught how to interact, communicate, and play with the dog.[2]
A Washington State University study[3] watched children with Autism Syndrome Disorders when in the presence the children of a service dog and found that the children:
- "Were more focused."
- "Were more aware of their social environments.”
- "Exhibited a more playful mood."
As reported in a 2008 study[4]:
- "Trained service dogs assist and also add pride, self-reliance, and personal satisfaction to an individual's daily life."
A new Université de Montreal study, "Effects of Service Dogs on Salivary Cortisol Secretion in Autistic Children"[1] needs a bit of background to fully understand its conclusions: Cortisol is the body's stress hormone, produced in anticipation of stressful situations. A body's level of cortisol typically peak a half an hour after waking, which is called "Cortisol Awakening Response". By measuring this Cortisol Awakening Response, scientists can directly determine how stressed someone is, without having to verbally ask them questions.
This study found that specifically-trained Autism Service Dogs can help reduce the anxiety and enhance the socialization skills of children with Autism Syndrome Disorders.
- "Our findings showed that the dogs had a clear impact on the children's stress hormone levels," says Sonia Lupien, senior researcher and a professor at the Université de Montréal Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Centre for Studies on Human Stress at Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital. She continued, "I have not seen such a dramatic effect before."
- Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) levels before service dog: 58% increase.
- Cortisol Awakening Response with the service dog: A mere 10% increase.
- After service dog (when the dogs were taken away after four weeks): back up to a 48% increase every morning as the child awoke from sleep.
- "The dogs also improved the children's behavior, reducing the number of problems reported by parents."
- The authors proposed a number of hypotheses that could explain the changes in the Cortisol Awakening Response with the service dogs, including positive psychological factors associated with the presence of the service dog (e.g. calmer, happier children), or changes in the children’s sleep patterns (some parents reported improved sleep habits when the service dogs were in the home), or perhaps the presence of the service dogs created an anchoring effect that made testing cortisol levels easier on the children.
- In summary, the article offers some of the first evidence that service dogs can benefit children with ASD by mitigating the physiological effects (Cortisol Awakening Response) commonly observed in the children and potentially lead to improved psychological states for adults and caretakers.
[1]September 2010 issue of the journal "Psychoneuroendocrinology", Université de Montreal, MIRA Foundation, Quebec, Canada.
[2] Redefer, L. A., & Goodman, J. F. (1989), Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 19(3), 461-467.
[3] Animal-assisted Therapy for Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Martin, F., & Farnum, J. (2002). Western Journal of Nursing Research, 24(6), 657-670, College for Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University.
[4] Observations on Assistance Dog Training and Use, Coppinger R, Coppinger L, Skillings E., Hampshire College, Amherst, MA.
[1]September 2010 issue of the journal "Psychoneuroendocrinology", Université de Montreal, MIRA Foundation, Quebec, Canada.
[2] Redefer, L. A., & Goodman, J. F. (1989), Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 19(3), 461-467.
[3] Animal-assisted Therapy for Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Martin, F., & Farnum, J. (2002). Western Journal of Nursing Research, 24(6), 657-670, College for Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University.
[4] Observations on Assistance Dog Training and Use, Coppinger R, Coppinger L, Skillings E., Hampshire College, Amherst, MA.