Abstract
Service dogs (SDs) have been shown to provide multi-faceted benefits for autistic children, with some benefits also extending to family members. The main objectives of this study were to explore the relationships between psychosocial well-being, family functioning, parent anxiety, and parent–child relationships in families of autistic children, and to investigate the effects of integration of an SD. A cross-sectional approach was used to collect data from three groups of parents of autistic children: (1) families approved for an SD but waitlisted, (2) families in the training process but not yet paired with an SD, and (3) families with a child matched with an SD. Parents completed an online questionnaire including validated tools. Children’s autism-related symptoms correlated with different aspects of family experience and quality of life, and parents’ anxiety scores were related to children’s social anxiety and difficulties associated with parenting an autistic child. Family functioning was associated with children’s autistic characteristics, parents’ anxiety, and the quality of the parent–child relationship. In families of children paired with an SD, children’s autistic symptoms were related to parental attachment with the SD. These findings underscore the need for further research on the assessment and implications of autism-related symptoms for children acquiring an SD.
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