Just last month, experts revealed introducing infants to pets can help reduce their chance of respiratory illness symptoms, new research now shows that pets can also have a positive effect on autistic children’s behavior.

Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the child’s first three years of life. Autism affects the brain’s development of social and communication skills. Both children and adults living with autism experience difficulty interacting with others as well as nonverbal communication. It is difficult for one with autism to distinguish, comprehend and express feelings and intentions.