A new study led by Professor Esther Ben Yitzhak of Ariel University found that training dogs may help improve speech and social skills in children with autism.

Several behavioral indices relating to communication, independence, movement, and sociability were assessed in the children before and after treatment, according to the study’s authors, professors Esther Ben Yitzhak of Ariel University and Ditza Tzachor of Shamir Medical Center. There have been few research exploring the effect of dog therapy on children on the autistic spectrum up until now.

A total of 73 kids were split into two groups, with 12 girls and 61 boys ranging in age from 3 to 7 and a half years old.

Four months into the project, some of the kids in one of the groups met twice a week to learn how to approach and send orders to dogs with physical gestures.

The control group was the other half of the experiment. For the next four months, the groups reversed responsibilities.

The first group of people who got treatment saw a big change in their communication and social skills, but there were no changes in the indices of movement or independence. Following their own treatment, the second group exhibited similar results. The study also found that working with the dogs led to less repetition in the children.

According to the university, the study’s authors believe that dogs’ nonjudgmental and predictable character helps kids learn skills that can be applied to other social and communicative circumstances through their encounters.

“In light of the findings, it can be concluded that treatment through ‘dog training’ improves communication and social skills in young children on the autism spectrum,” said Ben Yitzhak. “The program may be an additional treatment option to be used alongside treatments that have been shown to be effective when implemented at an early age.”

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