It is my opinion that the success he had with social interaction during the Play Therapy sessions (with the dog and also with other children), was a motivating force in getting him interesting in interacting with people. He has made alot of progress. He is nearly 8, and this Christmas he played monoply with all the family! Admittedly his interest lasted about 15 minutes, but that is the first time he has showed an interest in playing that type of game, and interestingly he already knew all of the rules - so he must have been watching and learning the game for some time before wanting to join in.
I also took my son to a Play Therapist who used a trained labrador dog in her sessions. I think animals are a very good way of interacting with children with autism as long as the child does not have any aversion to animals due to sensory issues eg. smell, noise, tactile etc.
We also keep alot of animals and I have found it very helpful to be able to explain things using the animals as examples.
You might be able to find a Play Therapist who uses this type of approach, but you need one that is working with social interaction with children on the autistic spectrum and not one who uses play to enable traumatised children to vent their emotions/experiences - there is a big difference.
A agree that little dogs are too vulnerable. We used to have a hamster and my son would stuff it in all kinds of places. It got wedged in the teapot once (he was copying Alice in Wonderland)! Thankfully it survived everything it was put through.
But animals are very accepting and trusting and patient. Just learning to throw a stick or ball for a dog is a big interaction for them and also teaches them something about social interaction. Good luck in your search.
go to www.northstartdogs.com, they have golden retrievers that are trained service dogs for kids with autism. I blieve the study that you are referring to in NY is the one where a woman who is a dog trainer helps the child train their dog. you can do a search on kids with autism, dogs, LI, NY and see if that links you to any of the articles. i have a 4 year old son diagnosed PDD-NOS. He had significant speeech delay recently his speech has improved tremendosly. I work alot with him at home as well as he is in school full day. We have a dog who I have had since she is 2 months old. Before my kids were born. She is 12 years old now, she is a pitbull, she absolutely adores my son and he loves her. .she isnt a service dog but I can tell you that just for the companionship alone, a dog is a wonderful choice for a child who is PDD or autistic. We could never have a little dog because my son is just too rough. GOOD LUCK