The use of service and “therapy” animals in the treatment of a variety of emotional disorders, including depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and autism, has recently come into the spotlight. Hopeful parents, caregivers, and individuals suffering from such disorders want to latch onto a new non drug therapy that may help manage the disorder. Unfortunately, there have been few scientific studies evaluating the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy in the treatment of such disorders, including autism.
This is where you come in. Help us determine whether therapy dogs prove to be beneficial for those with autism. As a control, some families will receive visits with a stuffed toy dog and handler. These families would later have the opportunity to receive home therapy dog visits. There is no charge or compensation for participating.
If interested in participating either as a therapy dog provider or as a family member with autism spectrum disorder, please email: ruffloveus@yahoo.com
