This thesis describes a hermeneutic phenomenological study examining families’ experience of having a service dog for their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Eight families in Alberta who had received a service dog for their child with ASD participated. An important voice in the study is from four of the children with ASD themselves, including their interpretation of what their dog means to them. The study was theoretically based in the social work lens of a Person-in-Environment approach along with attachment theory and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of human development. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants. Results indicated that the dogs were perceived to foster increased safety for the child as well as enhancing social interaction, companionship, and sensory support. Parents experienced a sense of support in which they believed the dogs shared some of the parenting burden in that the dog carried aspects of care for the child. The children with ASD communicated and demonstrated a deep connection with their service animals, and much of that connection seemed to occur regardless of whether language skills were present. Understanding the nature and impact of this connection invites further study with a priority of hearing children’s voices. As there is a lack of information about how this population handles the eventual loss and death of a service dog, and some participants expressed a concern for this eventuality, future research about such loss is warranted. Implications for practice are discussed.