Read about why having a dog is a good idea when you have an autistic child. Learn why it can help your child with their skills, fears, and many more.
I love dogs. They are loyal, funny and warm.
There are multiple reasons you should own a dog.
There is plenty of research showing all the advantages of having a dog in the family.
But you might wonder if having a dog is a good idea if you have an Autistic child.
While every child on the Autism spectrum is different, the benefits of owning a dog are huge!
Read about these twenty reasons you should get a dog for your Autistic child.
Why you should get a dog for your Autistic Child
1. Getting a dog for your Autistic child can help with overcoming fears
Children with Autism Spectrum condition often experience fears and anxiety.
They might be afraid to do something new, go to unknown places, or meet strangers.
A dog by their side can help them remain calm.
It can help with switching their fear to the dog itself.
The dog can accompany the child on trips and visits to help them with their fears.
2. It promotes Exercise and Physical Wellbeing
It is no secret that dogs love walks and physical activities.
They like to play games with their owners and be outdoors.
A dog can encourage a child to go outside, play, be outdoors, and exercise more.
Exercise is vital for good health and helps release serotonin (happy hormone).
Autistic children might often be reluctant to be active for many reasons, including poor gross motor skills.
Having a dog will be an excuse to get them out and be playful and healthy.
3. It supports the Development of Motor Skills
If you want to know more about motor skills, I wrote these posts about fine motor skills and gross motor skills.
Reading them, you will discover that people on the Autism Spectrum often have poor motor skills.
Having a dog can improve them.
Playing games with the dog, like fetch, can improve hand-eye coordination and help with throwing.
Running with the dog helps to develop gross motor skills.
Feeding the dog (measuring out food, pouring into the bowl and placing the bowl on the floor) will also help with coordination, balance and many motor skills.
4. It can help with Road Safety
It might sometimes be tricky for an autistic child to go out and about and be safe around cars or busy roads.
They might be overwhelmed by the heavy traffic, noise, lights, and smell of car fumes.
They might need help understanding the road rules and often need help to stay safe.
Having a trained dog can help with road safety awareness.
The dog might know when to stop and go and how to avoid dangers on the road.
5. Getting a dog for your Autistic Child can help with sensory issues
Having a dog and stroking and hugging it can provide a great sensory experience.
The texture of the dog’s coat and the warmth of its body can help those who are sensory seekers.
Very often, autistic children experience sensory processing issues. If you want to learn more about sensory processing, read my post here.
Feeling the dog’s coat and the deep pressure from having the dog’s head on the child’s lap or arms can help with sensory regulation.
6. It helps with Anxiety
Many autistic children suffer from anxiety.
It is something they live with it, facing their fears.
Some children find a lack of predictable routines and social expectations very stressful.
A dog can help with anxiety.
One study showed that stroking a dog reduces blood pressure.
It also helps release the happy hormone (serotonin) and decrease the stress hormone (cortisol) release.
A dog would be great for your autistic child to help them with their anxiety.
7. It strengthens the Immune System
Dogs spend time outside, where they go to the toilet and sniff everything around them.
It means they might have germs, dirt or small insects on them.
Exposure to some germs will make our immune system get to work to fight off harmful bacteria and get stronger.
Having a dog can also introduce good bacteria that help grow our immune system and help with allergies, eczema and asthma.
Several studies have shown that children who grow up with dogs (or other animals) get ill less often and recover faster when sick.
8. It develops Empathy
Caring for a dog teaches kindness and empathy.
Children can learn to put someone else’s needs first.
Autistic children often lack theory of mind (I wrote about it here) which is understanding that other people may think and feel differently from us.
Having a dog can help in understanding that others have needs.
If a child helps with caring for the dog, feeding, petting and playing with it, they can learn how to be empathetic and caring hands-on.
They can also get instant feedback.
A happy and grateful dog will wag its tail and offer affection, and the child can see the impact of its actions.
9. It helps with Meltdowns
Children with ASC might often experience meltdowns when overstimulated or overloaded with fear.
Dogs are usually good at sensing emotions and can quickly recognise when humans are sad.
They can help soothe a child by their licking or leaning on them.
10. Getting a dog for your Autistic Child helps form and maintain Relationships
Autistic children often struggle with having and maintaining relationships with their family, friends and other people because of their problems with social skills.
Having a dog helps them to learn about relationships and to be there for each other.
It will help in learning how to form bonds.
The dogs are lovely, never judgemental, and always loyal, even to a person who might find it difficult to bond with them.
11. It helps with Routine, Consistency, Stability
Autistic people need predictability in order to be calm.
They need to know what follows next and like to have their routines.
They want to do things the same way or go to the same places.
They might respond poorly to chaos.
Dogs also rely on routines.
They have their meals and naps at set times and quickly learn new things by repetition.
It can help your autistic child to be involved in caring for the dog, and they will thrive on the predictability of the dog’s routine.
12. It helps with getting out of their world
Often autistic children might be trapped in their own world, left with obsessive thoughts or narrow interests.
Having a dog might bring the focus outside of their head.
They will choose to engage and interact with the dog instead. It might distract an autistic child from a negative behaviour or habit.
13. It helps with Eye Contact
Children on the Autism spectrum often have problems making and sustaining eye contact.
It is overwhelming or stressful for them.
Having a dog and interacting with it can improve and increase eye contact for your child.
They might seek the dog’s affection and attention and start making eye contact to obtain it.
14. It encourages communication
Autistic children often struggle with communicating.
Some of them might even be non-verbal.
Their skills in this area might be limited.
Having a dog encourages communicating.
Children learn to communicate more effectively and increase their vocabulary.
Dogs are nonverbal, so for autistic children communicating with a dog will require skills other than speech.
15. Getting a dog for your Autistic Child can help with Socialising
Socialising might be difficult for children with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC).
Social expectations might cause stress.
Having a dog and being with it can be calming and reassuring.
The dog can also be a distraction or a focal point for a conversation.
If a conversation shifts to talking about the dog, this may ease the pressure for small talk.
Small talk is something a child with ASC might not be comfortable with.
16. It improves social skills
Having a dog from a young age teaches children social skills.
It is something that autistic children often struggle with.
Playing with the dog and caring for it involves several elements of social skills: turn-taking, sharing, reciprocity and communication.
A dog can help an autistic child master these skills.
17. It helps to learn turn taking
Playing games like hide and seek or fetch is excellent for learning the importance of taking turns.
It is something that children on the Autism spectrum might struggle with often.
The dog will be delighted to play games like that and will not care if it doesn’t win.
18. It reduces stress
Dogs are funny and kind, and being around them can lower stress not only for the child by for the whole family.
People tend to be softer around dogs, so they might often help deescalate family problems and parental stress.
19. It supports Learning to Share
Playing with the dog and toys can teach children to share.
It is another thing that they might find challenging. Having a dog and sharing toys with it will let them practice this skill.
20. It provides Company
Having a dog will offer your child company and a new friend.
Children with Autism can often be isolated and lonely because of their social difficulties.
They may find making friends and maintaining friendships tricky.
The dog can become their best friend and keep them company so they don’t feel lonely.
As you can see, getting a dog for your child on the Autism Spectrum has plenty of advantages.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve got one already.
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