Animals’ Presence Eases Anxiety In Children With ASD
Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting, tips21 May 2015
This is a new research showing how the presence of animals eases the anxiety of kids with ASD in a social interaction context. Kids with autism have shown a drop in their anxiety level during social interactions in the presence of guinea pigs, compared to social interactions while playing with toys, or silent reading, or loud reading.
The topic is not new. It has been proved time after time how much kids with autism have benefited from a companion pets. Here are some posts:
Dogs Can Help Your Child With Autism
Iris Grace, A Five-Year Old Gifted Painter
Equine Therapy
Tip
I am not asking the parents to rush to a breeder or a pet store to get their child a companion animal. Much simpler would be, to spend a day at a farm, visit animals theme parks, or animal shelters, humane society, wildlife refuge, zoos, and parks. Also, find places where children are allowed to pet or feed animals. Try your neighbor’s dog, cat, rabbit, bird, gold fish,…See for yourself how your kid behaves in the presence of an animal. For some kids, their communication with animals facilitates that with people.
It is the presence of the animal, not necessarily its proximity or physical touch, that makes the difference.
nadia shanab
Tags: asperger's syndrome, autism, communication, parenting, research, senses, sensory, social interaction, techniques
