USA Today Autistic kids can connect with animals

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Nearly 1.5 million Americans have some form of autism, the Autism Society says.

By Todd Plitt, USA TODAY

Wyatt, a ian Ridgeback, works with autistic children.

Understanding how animals help kids with autism requires more study, says

, researcher at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child

Health and Human Development.

" Most of what we hear about are these anecdotal examples of dogs turning kids'

lives around, " says , whose research is financed by Mars, maker of

Pedigree dog food.

is a co-author of Animals in Our Lives: Human-Animal Interaction in

Family, Community & Therapeutic Settings. A chapter by Temple Grandin, autism

advocate and animal scientist, addresses how animals can help people with autism

spectrum disorders (ASD).

A 2004 study showed assistance dogs could help autistic children learn about

living beings, feelings and needs, says. And he cites a 2010 study

published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology that shows how service dogs

have a physiological effect on autistic kids.

The study measured the salivary levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in 42

children with autism at three different times: before and during the

introduction of a service dog to their family, and after a short period during

which the dog was removed from their family.

The researchers worked with the MIRA Foundation, which provides free service

dogs to people with special needs. The researchers concluded " that the

introduction of service dogs translated into reducing cortisol levels ... and

the number of disruptive behavioral incidents in children with ASD. "