HABRI Central

Introduction

Autism has been highlighted as a pressing public health issue that may be ameliorated through the inclusion of animals in autism treatment services, also known as animal-assisted intervention. Over the past 20 years, only a few studies have empirically examined the impact of therapeutic interactions with animals for individuals with autism. A review of the existing literature indicates that incorporating animals into autism treatment practices may provide a motivating stimulus for individuals with autism to enhance social functioning. However, more rigorous investigation is critical before widespread implementation can be adopted. In this review, I explore the current literature on animal-assisted intervention for autism, synthesise relevant findings for clinical practice and present targeted directions for future research.

Conclusion

Research suggests positive social functioning outcomes for some children with autism following human-animal interaction. The use of animal-assisted intervention and service animals appear to provide a valuable addition to current autism treatment practices and therefore are worthy of further investigation.

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

1. Animal-assisted interventions
2. Autism
3. Human-animal interactions
4. open access
5. peer-reviewed
6. Reviews