Cirulli pointed out that these studies focused on dogs trained to be around children with autism. So the findings cannot be assumed to apply to your average Fido.
You might first want to see how your child reacts to a friend's or neighbor's dog, Cirulli suggested.
"Getting a dog could be a nice thing for the family," Nishawala agreed. "It could be therapeutic for everyone."
If you are interested in a trained service dog, be prepared for an investment. It costs about $20,000 to train a dog, and the family would have to foot much of that bill.
More information
Autism Service Dogs of America has more on which kids might benefit from a canine companion.
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