The Roles of Animals for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Animals play many roles in the lives of persons with ASD. For some persons with ASD, animals can provide strong social supports both as companions and as service animals. For others, animals may provide a unique catalyst for therapeutic success. Clinicians must appreciate that persons with ASD process information differently than others. These processing differences often have an impact on the way these individuals relate to others, including animals. For those clinicians who serve a population of children and adults with ASD, they may consider learning more about resources in their community that could help provide opportunities for AAI outside of the traditional therapeutic environment (e.g., equine therapy, service animals). They should also consider some of the guidelines for incorporating animals in their therapeutic regime as discussed in this chapter and throughout this volume.