Autism and Pets: three questions you should ask before start looking for a pet for your child on the spectrum

Pets can be a great source of companionship, and they can teach your children how to be responsible. But how your pet and your child bond cannot be guaranteed (although by carefully selecting some pets over others, some of this risk can be avoided). I have worked with enough families with children with autism to have seen both sides of this coin. There have been children with autism that have really bonded with their pets - in cases I have known, a large pet tortoise and a large dog. One parent recounted that their child was really “in their own world” but their Labrador helped draw them out, at first as a confidante and then as a source of comfort when things felt chaotic. I have also worked with families where parents have gotten their children pets they never really gravitated towards, only to have those pets given away at a later date. I still wonder what happened to that bearded dragon.

Here are some suggestions to help with this decision:

• Has your child gravitated towards animals?
  If yes, perhaps this is worthwhile to explore. If not, have you exposed your child to different animals to assess their reaction? This is where I would start. There are some children with autism (and children in general) that have fears of certain animals. I have worked with some parents that have brought dogs into their home under the pretense that this will help their child desensitize to this fear. This did not always work well in the cases I have seen and can be traumatic to both the child and the animal. 

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