Study Shows Bonding With New Pet May Improve Socialization

By Salynn Boyles WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Aug. 1, 2012 -- By just about any measure of accomplishment, Danny Gross would be considered a successful young adult.

The 25-year-old is a popular graduate student in cinematic arts at the University of Southern California, and his mother, Patty, calls him an all-around great kid.

He is also on the autism spectrum.

His mother is convinced that his childhood golden retriever, Madison, who joined the family when Danny was 7, played a part in his success, and a new study backs up the claim.

Although there is plenty of anecdotal evidence linking pet ownership to better socialization in children with autism, the study is among the first to explore the connection.

Researchers in France tested behavior and intelligence in 260 children with autism who did and did not have pets -- mostly dogs and cats.

They found that those who became pet owners after the age of 5 performed better than children without pets on two key measures of social functioning -- offering comfort and offering to share.

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Pets May Help Kids With Autism