Oct. 20, 2010 Dogs may not only be man's best friend, they may
also have a special role in the lives of children with special
needs. According to a new Université de Montreal study,
specifically trained service dogs can help reduce the anxiety
and enhance the socialization skills of children with Autism
Syndrome Disorders (ASDs). The findings, published in the
journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, may be a relatively simple
solution to help affected children and their families cope with
these challenging disorders. "Our findings showed that the dogs
had a clear impact on the children's stress hormone levels,"
says Sonia Lupien, senior researcher and a professor at the
Université de Montréal Department of Psychiatry and Director of
the Centre for Studies on Human Stress at Louis-H. Lafontaine
Hospital, "I have not seen such a dramatic effect before."
Cortisol the telltale indicator of stress To detect stress-
levels, Lupien and colleagues measured the amount of cortisol
present in the saliva of autistic children. C