I have found that my autistic kids really like dogs and are quite comfortable with them. They really like our dog as well and enjoy being around him. We have a large, 13 year old Yorkshire Terrier, he weighs about 15 pounds which is large for a Yorkie.

By ZeeNews
London: Dogs can help reduce stress in parents of children with autism, a new study has suggested.
Researchers at thee University of Lincoln compared 20 families with dogs with 20 without. They found the canines had helped the families in many ways, from developing language and establishing a routine to using the pet to request action in a non-confrontational way.
Lead researcher Daniel Mills told a Royal Society of Medicine conference that early results suggested any breed of dogs could improve communication and relationships.
“While there is no shortage of opinion on how dogs can help, there has been little money given to scientifically look into this,” the ‘BBC’ quoted as saying Prof Mills who hopes to use video footage to show how the man’s best friend can help improve child eating, sleeping and tantrum behaviour.

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http://www.theautismnews.com/2011/05/30/dogs-beneficial-to-families-of-autistic-children/