For the longest of time, emotional support animals have always helped people with autism, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. This, of course, has always helped people function better in their everyday lives, and that’s also why Emotional Pet Support was founded initially. Not only that, but many pet owners have described that physically being near their pet and interacting with their pet has helped them not feel as lonely or depressed than when they didn’t have a pet nearby at all. Furthermore, pet owners are found to usually have higher levels of physical exercise than non-owners. So in essence, pets and emotional support animals, in particular, have recently been viewed as useful partners in the emotional and educational development of children, according to ScienceDirect. Specifically, the conversation mentioned that dogs could make children better readers. For autism, in particular, guinea pigs are said to help children improve their social skills and motivate them to learn. In terms of children’s health, children who interact with pets are shown to have an improved immune system and a reduced occurrence of allergies.
If you aren’t sure if your child will have autism, we have a comprehensive list to help aid you:
1. Disinterest in other family members – Does your child look to you for comfort (eye contact) and extend their arms to be picked up? Lack of interest in bonding at an early age may lead to difficulty relating to others as they mature.
2. Delayed motor development – Parents love the milestones that their children achieve such as rolling over, crawling and walking. Any delays may warrant further investigation.
3. Repetitive or obsessive behavior – watch for unusual body movements with the hands or arms and unusual body postures.
4. Unresponsiveness to their name and environment– Is your baby hard of hearing or simply not responding to verbal cues? Is your baby imitating sounds, smiles, and facial expressions?
5. Lack of smiling – Does your child smile back and laugh? This should be normal behavior by six months of age.
Ultimately, you will want to check with your physician or specialist as they will be the ones to help you and your child out in having a happy and full life.