Health
Kids with autism supported by service dogs, as research and families note 'incredible changes'
Having a furry friend can add fun and companionship for anyone — but for children with autism, it can be life-changing.
A recent study from the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine evaluated the impact of service dogs on autistic children and their caregivers in 75 families.
Working with nonprofit service dog provider Canine Companions, the researchers found that having a service dog was associated with “significantly better child sleep behaviors,” including less sleep anxiety and better sleep initiation and duration.
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In an interview with Fox News Digital, lead researcher Dr. Maggie O’Haire, associate dean of research at the university, said the research was sparked by the growing number of programs that pair service dogs with autistic children.
A recent study from the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine evaluated the impact of service dogs on autistic children and their caregivers. (iStock)
The sleep improvements are particularly important for the child and the entire family, O’Haire said.
Children were able to sleep in their room more independently when the dog was present, the researchers found.
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“The dog provides that source of calm and comfort, which probably reduces the anxiety,” she said. “And also, if they wake up a little bit in the night and their service dog is there, they’re probably more easily able to fall back to sleep on their own.”
Families also reported experiencing less stigma and judgment and making more positive social connections when out in public with a service dog, according to O’Haire.
Making a ‘huge difference’
Washington mom Amanda Harpell-Franz shared that her son, Evan, who has autism, has also enjoyed the many benefits of having a service dog.
“Evan is vibrant, curious, compassionate — he just lights up our lives,” Harpell-Franz described her 7-year-old son in an interview with Fox News Digital. “Most people who meet him say there’s something about him that is just so endearing and engaging.”
Evan, 7, is pictured with his service dog, Kalvin. Since the family welcomed Kalvin, Evan’s mother said he is attending school and extracurricular activities consistently and without struggle. (Canine Companions)
“He’s very active, loves being outside, loves connecting with his friends,” she said. “He loves to swim … He’s just a life-giving kid. He notices things other people don’t notice. Very empathetic, sweet kid.”
Evan was born a week early and experienced seizures, which have since stabilized, but left him with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
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Harpell-Franz later noticed signs of severe anxiety, difficulty understanding social cues, and regressed speech, ultimately leading to his autism diagnosis.
“It definitely shapes how Evan sees this world and how he takes in this world,” she said. “We definitely do not see it as a deficit or something bad, but it does have its challenges.”
Evan struggled in social settings before he was placed with his service dog, Kalvin, through Canine Companions.
Harpell-Franz, who is a previous foster parent and longtime dog owner, spoke of the “huge difference” that Kalvin — a lab and golden retriever mix — has made for her son and his relationships.
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Evan has also slept better since receiving his own service dog, his mother said. Kalvin sleeps next to him every night, the physical pressure helping the boy get better rest.
“Evan and Calvin sleep back-to-back,” said Harpell-Franz. “Evan will reach over and lay his head on Kalvin. Kalvin puts his arm on Evan.”
Kalvin is trained to apply deep pressure when needed, even while Evan is sitting in a chair, with either a paw or his whole body. (Canine Companions)
Since Kalvin joined their family, Harpell-Franz said Evan has been attending school and extracurricular activities consistently and without struggle.
Kalvin also takes some of the attention off Evan in social spaces, she added, which can relieve social pressure.
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Kalvin is trained to apply deep pressure when needed, even while Evan is sitting in a chair, with either a paw or his whole body.
“Kalvin lying across his body, it actually really calms him,” Harpell-Franz said. “It’s honestly been beautiful seeing that happen so naturally — it was one of the things we hoped for.”
The Harpell-Franz family has three dogs at home, including Kalvin. (Chris Kittredge)
Overcoming barriers
Theadora Block, research program manager at Canine Companions in California, shared with Fox News Digital how service dogs are specially trained to calm and protect their owners and are placed to suit a family’s specific needs.
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The dogs — which are mostly labs, golden retrievers or a combination — are “mellow, really stable, love interacting with humans, and genuinely love doing their jobs,” she said.
Service dogs are specially trained to calm and protect their owners and are placed to suit a family’s specific needs, said a representative of Canine Companions. (Canine Companions)
As the wait for service dog placement can sometimes be up to two years, Block encouraged people to sign up if there is any interest for the future.
O’Haire emphasized the need for more research into how service dogs can better accommodate families.
“We’ve seen anecdotes over the years of many incredible changes for children with autism and their families,” she said.
“We’ve seen barriers they’ve faced in terms of access policy and insurance support, and those changes are going to require evidence.”
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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