Minidonks

Posted 10/08/2024 : By: Sun Beams

Animals can help people with autism in many ways, including:

Social skills

Children with autism may feel more relaxed around animals, which can help them improve social skills and communication. Animals don't have social expectations, so autistic people may feel more comfortable being themselves.

Non-verbal communication

Animals are masters of non-verbal communication, which can be more intuitive for people with autism than verbal communication with other people. For example, a dog's tail wag can convey different emotions.

Companionship

Research suggests that a connection with a companion animal can reduce loneliness and provide companionship for children with autism. Pets are often cited as nonjudgmental and unconditionally loving.

Mental health

Attachment to pets is linked to better mental health in autistic people. Autistic people may also use relationships with pets to compensate for social avoidance.

Physical fitness

Animal interaction can increase physical fitness, strength, and coordination. For example, horses can provide a sense of rhythm that can help people coordinate their movements to speak and concentrate.

Focusing skills

Service animals can help children with autism focus longer and develop their focusing skills. For example, one study found that children with autism looked at dogs' faces longer than humans' faces.

With this in mind, we had a visit from the Miniature Donkeys for Wellbeing today.

You can book them through their website - www.minidonks.org.uk