Service Dogs in ASD Families Reduce Symptoms by 13%, Easing Parental Anxiety
A landmark study published in PLOS ONE delves into the systemic effects of integrating service dogs into families with a child diagnosed with ASD. Using standardized scales like the Autism Behavior Inventory Short Form (ABI-S), they saw a notable decrease of 14 points (13%) in overall autism symptoms.
While the children’s overall anxiety did not see any significant changes, the parents did show a notable difference in their anxiety levels.