Children With Autism May Benefit From The Introduction Of A Pet Into The Family

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The introduction of a pet can have a positive effect on autistic children's behavior, as reported in research published in the open access journal PLOS ONE.

The authors of the study, led by Marine Grandgeorge of the Hospital Research Center of Brest in France, found that participants who received a pet scored higher in two categories, "offering to share" and "offering comfort," a few years after the pet arrived than they did before having a pet. Participants who had lived with pets since birth, on the other hand, showed generally weaker relationships with their pets.

Both of these categories reflect prosocial behaviors, suggesting that individuals with autism can develop these types of behaviors in the appropriate context, the authors write.

Can Videogaming Benefit Young People With Autism Spectrum Disorder?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 88 children in the U.S. has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a broad group of neurodevelopmental disorders. Children and adolescents with ASD are typically fascinated by screen-based technology such as videogames and these can be used for educational and treatment purposes as described in an insightful Roundtable Discussion published in Games for Health Journal: Research Development, and Clinical Applications, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.. The article is available free on the Games for Health Journal website.

Individuals with ASD have difficulty with communication and social interaction, but they often have particularly good visual perceptual skills and respond well to visual stimuli. Videogames offer opportunities for successful learning, motivation to improve skills such as planning, organization, and self-monitoring, and reinforcement of desired behaviors without the need for direct human-to-human interaction.

Autism is a growing area of interest for the gamification community, and Games for Health Journal continues to explore various aspects of how videogame technology can be beneficial in treating this complex spectrum of disorders. In a previous issue of the Journal, the article "Comparing Energy Expenditure in Adolescents with and without Autism while Playing Nintendo® Wii™ Games" described how gaming might help individuals with ASD increase their daily physical activity to prevent obesity.

"Children and young adults with ASD have unique opportunities to capitalize on their interest and aptitude in videogames as a resource to develop desired social behaviors and life skills and to increase their physical activity," says Games for Health Journal Editor-in-Chief Bill Ferguson, PhD, who moderated the Roundtable.