Parents of children with autism find companion animals helpful in dealing with stressOne in fifty-nine children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD usually exhibit an array of significant social, emotional and physical deficits, which interfere with their quality of life and that of the family. It’s not surprising, then, that parents of children with ASD experience high levels of stress. A primary goal of this study was to examine the potential for companion animal (CA) ownership to minimize stress in parents of children with ASD. The study also explored parents’ beliefs about other benefits and burdens of CAs.
Researchers used an online survey to collect information from parents of children with ASD (age 3-18) with or without a CA in the home. The survey included four instruments: Demographic Questionnaire; Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale; Companion Animal Bonding Scale; Animal Ownership for Families of Autistic Children Scale (AOFACS). The AOFACS, which was developed by the research team, includes a subscale of “Benefits” and one of “Burdens” of CA ownership.
Of the 764 respondents to the survey, 626 currently owned a CA. In the majority of homes, this was a dog. Almost 90% of parents with a CA said they were attached or very attached to the CA and that over 70% of their children with ASD were attached or very attached. Parents who owned a dog or both a cat and dog perceived greater benefits of the CA than those who owned only a cat. Parents who owned both a cat and dog perceived greater benefits than parents who owned only a dog. While 90% of parents reported being happy in their parenting role, over half (52%) reported the children as being the major source of their stress. Over one-third (34%) of the parents said they were overwhelmed with their parenting responsibilities. Most of the parents indicated that a CA would be beneficial to the social interactions of their child with ASD. They also perceived CA ownership to be helpful in reducing their own stress levels. They perceived the benefits of owning a CA to be positively influenced by both theirs and their children’s bond with the CA. While people with larger incomes were more likely to own a CA, family income was not related to parents’ perceived burdens of CA ownership. Parents and children in lower-income families had stronger bonds with their CA.
The “most salient benefits” of CA as reported by the parents were companionship and increased social interaction. Professionals working with families with children with ASD should consider recommending CAs for the potential benefits, including lower parental stress.
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