Pet Dog Ownership Decisions for Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2013.09.005

Journal of Pediatric Nursing

Volume 29, Issue 2, March–April 2014, Pages 114-123

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2013.09.005 Get rights and content

This study aimed to examine the role of pet dogs in families of children with autism. Sixty-seven percent of families owned dogs and 94% reported that their children were bonded to their dogs. Parents described previous experience with dogs and beliefs in their benefits as influential in their dog ownership decision-making process. Children living with dogs interacted with them in play and/or sharing personal space. Sensory issues of the children impacted their interaction with dogs inside and outside the home. Time and cost of care were identified burdens of dog ownership. Benefits were the opportunity to learn responsibility and companionship.

Section snippets

Theoretical Framework

Human–animal interaction has been examined through the lens of attachment theory, which was first proposed by Bowlby (1960). Attachment theory describes the bond of infants to their mothers for comfort and security (Bowlby, 1961), and has been further advanced to provide an understanding of the transfer of that attachment by children to bonds with other family members and peers over time as the children develop (Ainsworth, 1989). Melson (1990) applies attachment theory to describe children's

Literature Review

Children with ASD have been identified as having the ability to form secure attachments; however, they may be less organized attachments than those of typically developing children (Naber et al., 2007). The ability to form a strong attachment with a primary caregiver, may impact the potential for the development of friendships with peers (Bauminger, Solomon, & Rogers, 2010). The difficulty children with ASD demonstrate in establishing relationships has been described as related to a deficit in

Sample

Participants were recruited from an ASD diagnostic and treatment center in the Mid-western United States that served a diverse geographic population of urban and rural families. Approval for the study was received through the associated academic institutional review board (IRB) and the research committee of the ASD center. The ASD center maintained a potential participant data-base, including 953 children identified with ASD, whose caregivers consented to contact for consideration of

Design and Data Collection

The aim of this study was to identify the decision-making process regarding dog ownership in families of children with ASD, along with the parents' perceived benefits and burdens of dog ownership. The study also sought to describe the interaction of children with ASD who lived with pet dogs, as well as the interaction of children with ASD who did not live with dogs, but encountered them in the community.

A cross-sectional descriptive design was used for the collection of data through a telephone

Analysis

Demographic data were entered twice and a verification procedure was used in SAS 9.3 to identify discrepancies (SAS 9.3 Software | SAS, 2011). Simple descriptive statistics were used to compare dog and non-dog groups for demographic variables. Content analysis was conducted, following the utilization of attachment theory to develop the interview questions and for analysis of the data (Carlisle, 2012).

Field notes were taken immediately following each interview and parent responses were

Results

The mean parent age was 42 years with 61 females and 9 males (Carlisle, 2012). Sixty-one parents described themselves as Caucasian, two Asian, two Hispanic, two Native American, one African American and two as “other.” Seventy-nine percent of parents had post-secondary education. Twenty parents reported incomes of < $30,000, 36 reported incomes of ≥ $ 30,000 and < $ 90,000, and 11 reported incomes of > $90,000. Three parents declined to report their income. The mean age of children enrolled was 13

Discussion

There are similarities regarding dog ownership among parents of typically developing children and parents of children with ASD; however, recognition of the differences may aid parents of children with autism in making a dog ownership decision. In families of typically developing children, the responsibilities of caring for a pet have been reported as a concern which can be burdensome (Fifield & Forsyth, 1999). Parents of children with ASD have unique demands on their time and report more

Conclusions

Dog ownership is common among families of children with ASD, and parents describe similar reasons for their decision to acquire a dog, as do parents of typically developing children. Many parents perceive their children with ASD as being capable of developing an attachment to their dogs; however, a symbiotic integration of a dog into these families may rely on careful consideration of several factors. The time parents have to care for a dog may play a role, in addition to the selection of a dog

Acknowledgments

This study was supported with a grant from Sigma Theta Tau–Alpha Iota Chapter. The author would like to acknowledge the support of her dissertation committee members, Dr. Rebecca A. Johnson, Dr. Lawrence Ganong, Dr. Debra Gayer and Dr. Micah Mazurek.

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Citation Excerpt :
In examining differences in problem behaviors for children with ASD and CAs, Viau et al. (2010) found a decrease in problem behaviors for children with ASD after the introduction of a service dog into the family. However, Carlisle, 2014 found no significance difference in problem behaviors for children with ASD who lived with a CA compared with no CA. Our finding of decreased problem behaviors for Externalizing, Bullying and Hyperactivity/Inattention on the SSiSRS was significant for time effect.
The diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) occurs in one in 54 children and companion animals (CA) are common in families of children with ASD. Despite evidence of CA ownership benefits for children with ASD, little is known about cats. The purpose was to explore the impact of shelter cat adoption by families of children with ASD.
This was the first randomized controlled trial of adoption of a temperament screened cat by families of children with ASD. Families assigned to the treatment group adopted a cat and were followed for 18 weeks. Families assigned to the control group were followed for 18 weeks without intervention, then converted to treatment, by adopting a cat and were followed another 18 weeks. Adopted cats were screened using the Feline Temperament Profile to identify a calm temperament. Surveys measured children's social skills and anxiety and parent/child cat bonding.
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Animals have many roles in the lives of persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For some persons with ASD, animals can provide strong social supports as companions, therapy animals, and service animals. This may improve social functioning. For others, animals may provide a unique catalyst for therapeutic success. Clinicians must appreciate that persons with ASD process both social and sensory information differently from others. These processing differences often have an impact on the way these individuals relate to others, including animals. Clinicians who serve a population of children and adults with ASD may consider learning more about resources in their community that could provide opportunities for animal-assisted intervention outside the traditional therapeutic environment (e.g., equine-assisted therapy, service animals). They should also consider some guidelines for incorporating animals in their therapeutic regime, as discussed in this chapter and throughout this volume.
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¹: Poster presentation on March 9 2013 at Midwest Nursing Research Society Conference in Chicago Illinois.

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Pet Dog Ownership Decisions for Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder1

Section snippets

Theoretical Framework

Literature Review

Sample

Design and Data Collection

Analysis

Results

Discussion

Conclusions

Acknowledgments

The Veterinary Journal

Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Disability and Health Journal

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Attachments beyond infancy

The American Psychologist

Pets, families, and the life course

Journal of Marriage and Family

Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental health disorders: DSM-5

U.S. pet ownership & demographics sourcebook

Mindblindness: As essay on autism and theory of mind. Wiley Online Library

Predicting friendship quality in autism spectrum disorders and typical development

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Separation anxiety: A critical review of the literature

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry

Processes of mourning

Int J Psychoanal

The richness of the child–pet relationship: A consideration of both benefits and costs of pets to children

Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals

Factors affecting behavior and welfare of service dogs for children with autism spectrum disorder

Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science

Pets as family members

Marriage & Family Review

Pet dog ownership in families of children with autism: Children's social skills and attachment to their dogs

Elevated cortisol during play is associated with age and social engagement in children with autism

Molecular Autism

Basics of qualitative research : techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory

An investigation of human-animal interactions and empathy as related to pet preference, ownership, attachment, and attitudes in children

Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals

A pet for the children: Factors related to family pet ownership

Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals