Autism, pets, and the importance of seeing human.
Autistic adults love their pets like anyone else but lean on them more because they feel lonelier.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Gray et al. (2023) sent online surveys to autistic and neurotypical pet owners.
They asked how much people treat pets like humans and how lonely they feel.
The team compared answers between the two groups.
What they found
Both groups saw their pets as almost human to the same degree.
Yet autistic owners felt lonelier and more often said, "My pet is my person."
Results were mixed: same bond style, different social need.
How this fits with other research
Emerson (2013) and McDaniel Peters et al. (2017) reviewed animal programs for autistic kids.
Every study showed better social or communication skills after riding horses or playing with dogs.
Gray’s survey widens the lens to autistic adults and finds the bond is strong but tied to loneliness, not skill gains.
Brewer et al. (2023) showed autistic adults know social rules yet feel less confident.
Together the picture is clear: pets offer safe, predictable company when human rapport feels hard.
Why it matters
If you run social groups, welcome pets or set up low-pressure animal visits.
Ask clients, "Do you talk to your pet more than people?" Use that bond as a bridge.
Pair animal time with small human peer steps so the pet is a start, not a stop.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
People often see the human in the nonhuman, a process called anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism is particularly prolific regarding the humanization of pets. Some research suggests that people with autism may not anthropomorphize to the same degree as neurotypicals. In this study, we explored whether there were differences in how autistic and neurotypical pet owners anthropomorphized their pets. We also examined differences in levels of connectedness to nature and experiences of loneliness and how this corresponded to autistic traits in the entire sample. We found anthropomorphism was as common among autistic pet owners as in neurotypicals. However, autistic pet owners reported greater loneliness and were more likely to substitute pets for people. We also found that neurotypical pet owners rated pets more highly on physical, non-anthropomorphic traits (i.e., muscular, active). In contrast, autistic pet owners were likelier to rate pets equally between physical and anthropomorphic traits. Moreover, we found that anthropomorphism and connection to nature were positively correlated with autistic traits. These findings challenge accounts stating that individuals with autism may not anthropomorphize to the same degree as neurotypicals. Implications for animal-based interventions supporting adults on the spectrum are discussed.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2023 · doi:10.1002/aur.2975