Exploring the usefulness of companion pet ownership in the everyday functioning of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United Arab Emirates: A qualitative focus-group study.

This study looked at how having pets helps children with autism in the UAE. Researchers talked to 12 mothers whose autistic children have pets. They found that pets, especially dogs, helped children communicate better, feel less anxious, and be more physically active. The pets made social situations easier for the children and helped them interact with others more confidently.

This qualitative study explored companion pet ownership benefits for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United Arab Emirates. Researchers conducted focus group discussions with 12 mothers of children with ASD who own pets. Three primary themes emerged: enhanced social interaction and communication skills, improved emotional well-being, and increased physical activity. The study found that pets, particularly dogs, significantly boosted social engagement and non-verbal communication while reducing anxiety and stress in children with ASD.

This research addresses a knowledge gap in Arabic-speaking contexts and suggests companion pet ownership may inform family-centered routines. The authors recommend future research on structured animal-assisted interventions.

Companion pet ownership may be considered as part of family-centered approaches for children with ASD. Benefits include enhanced communication, reduced anxiety, and increased physical activity. However, structured animal-assisted interventions require further research to establish clinical protocols and effectiveness compared to household pet ownership.

Small sample size (12 mothers), single cultural context (UAE), qualitative design limits generalizability, potential selection bias as participants were pet owners, lack of comparison group without pets, reliance on parental reports rather than direct observation of children.

Despite the global recognition of the benefits of companion pet ownership, there is a lack of research exploring this phenomenon in an Arabic-speaking context such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study fills the knowledge gap by exploring the usefulness of pet ownership on the social skills, communication, emotional and physical well-being of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the UAE. The study employs a phenomenological research design, utilizing focus-group discussions with 12 mothers of children diagnosed with ASD who own pets. The parents participated in the focus group discussions to understand the usefulness of pet ownership to their children with ASD.

Findings are categorized into three primary themes: enhancement of social interaction and communication skills, improvement in emotional well-being, and encouragement of physical activity. For instance, the presence of pets, especially dogs, significantly boosts social engagement and non-verbal communication, reduces anxiety and stress, and increases physical activity among children with ASD. Companion pet ownership may inform family-centered routines for children with ASD in the UAE. Future work should assess the feasibility of structured animal-assisted interventions (AAI), which are distinct from household pet ownership.