Evidence supporting canine-assisted interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains limited due to a lack of well-controlled studies. This controlled crossover study addressed that gap by evaluating a Dog Training Intervention in 73 young children diagnosed with ASD, aged 2:10 to 7:6 years, who were enrolled in ASD-specific special education schools.
Participants were divided into two groups, each receiving the dog training program during one half of the school year in addition to standard educational and therapeutic services. The intervention consisted of twice-weekly sessions for four months, during which children learned to interact with and train dogs under structured guidance. These sessions emphasized communication, joint attention, cooperative behavior, and emotional engagement.
Children who received the intervention in the first half of the year demonstrated a significant increase in adaptive social and communication skills compared with controls. Importantly, these gains were maintained after the training period ended. Predictors of greater improvement included higher baseline adaptive skills, higher cognitive ability, and lower autism severity.
When the second group later crossed over and received the intervention, they exhibited similar improvements, showing enhanced communication and socialization only during the period in which they actively participated in the dog training program. Autism severity and anxiety measures did not show significant changes, but adaptive behavior outcomes were consistently improved during active intervention phases.
These results demonstrate that dog training serves as an effective experiential model for fostering social interaction. By teaching children how to communicate with and guide a dog, the intervention provides a highly motivating and structured context for practicing core social behaviors. The findings highlight dog training as a valuable adjunct therapy within special education settings for young children with ASD.
Source: Ben-Itzchak, E., & Zachor, D. (2021). Dog training intervention improves adaptive social communication skills in young children with autism spectrum disorder: A controlled crossover study. Autism. Published March 22, 2021.
