Animals can be helpful to kids with ASD because they can help comfort them during stressful times. It is known that "... having a pet at all didn’t matter as much as when the pet was introduced to the home. Autistic children who grew up with a pet from birth appeared to be no different from those living in households without pets, but children who received a pet at age 4 or 5 showed major improvement in two social skills that are not only difficult for autistic people, but are also critical in sustaining human relationships: sharing with others and comforting people in distress" (Time). This indicates that having a pet around kids with ASD can help them develop essential life skills that can be beneficiary to them in the long run.