Research Shows That Cats Can Help Children with Autism

Cats can provide more than love. They can have a positive impact on the behavior of children with autism. Research shows that children with autism “…experienced significant increases in the social skill of empathy, significant decreases in problem behaviors including bullying and hyperactivity/inattention, and also less separation anxiety after the introduction of a shelter cat,” said Gretchen Carlisle, PhD, MEd, RN, research scientist at the University of Missouri Research Center for Human Animal Interaction (ReCHAI). Read more here.