Can a therapy animal help an autistic child?

Help Us Help Kids With Autism! American Humane desperately needs your help building our Animal-Assisted Therapy Program to address a serious challenge affecting innocent children across the country: autism. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,1 in every 110 kids born in the United States struggles with autism, a developmental disability that often makes communication and interaction with others difficult. These children also face tremendous stress in their daily lives, as they valiantly work to keep up with their peers in the same classrooms. The good news is therapy animals can help kids with autism cope and connect with others! Our Animal-Assisted Therapy Program brings specially trained teams of animals and human volunteers to a variety of settings, including classrooms that serve kids with disabilities. There’s just one problem: The need to serve children with autism is bigger than our program. That’s why your donation to help our Animal-Assisted Therapy Program grow is so critical! Interacting with a friendly, patient therapy animal from time to time is a great way to encourage the development of children with autism -- and relieve stress. Here are just a few examples of how it works: Children with autism struggle to make eye contact. Practicing this with an animal is less threatening. Children with autism have trouble forming relationships. Brushing, talking to, praising and playing with a pet can increase empathy. Children with autism often feel overwhelmed. A pet’s unconditional love and calming presence can provide a welcome relief, allowing the child to focus better afterward. A Belgian Malinois Inspires a Child With Autism If you have any doubts about helping more kids with autism through animal-assisted therapy, consider the story of Michael* and Jaxon. Michael is a second grader with autism. Jaxon is a big-hearted Belgian Malinois who was adopted by Barbara Weiss, an American Humane volunteer and a school system assistant in special education. Every other week, Barbara brings Jaxon to school to provide animal-assisted therapy to Michael and other children. Communicating is tough for Michael, but he recently surprised everyone by exclaiming, “Jaxon lives with Michael!” He went on to describe how Jaxon was going to sleep on his sofa, and even be carried in Michael’s backpack despite the lovable dog’s huge size! This display of affection and humor may seem like a small thing. But for Michael, it was a tremendous breakthrough. Please donate today so American Humane can bring more kids like Michael and therapy dogs like Jaxon together! *Michael’s story is real, but his name has been changed to protect his privacy.