“It’s the magic of dogs,” says Karen Shirk, who runs a nonprofit called 4 Paws for Ability which has placed 319 service dogs with people with disabilities since 1998.

One group receiving considerable help and love from our canine companions are children who suffer from autism.

“I’m sure there’s some sort of scientific explanation,” she says. “But I call it magic.”

Shirk started the organization when her own handicap left her bound to a wheelchair. When she went looking for a dog that could contribute to her life in both a practical and psychological way, she was met with resistance. Trained dogs would be of no service to her, she was told.

That’s when she began her own plan, where people like her could reap the many, many benefits of man’s (and woman’s!) best friend.

“We don’t discriminate against anyone who has a need,” she says.

Many agencies often have age restrictions, so Shirk specializes in providing dogs to children with a variety of issues, including autism.

“I knew autistic children connected to animals,” she remembers. “I knew that service dogs would be able to help.”

Of the 300+ dogs that Shirk has placed, nearly 70 percent have been partnered with autistic children.

“The biggest problem that’s faced by families that have children with autism is isolation. They actually quit going out because they can’t keep their child safe,” says Shirk. “For our children with autism, their dog might be the only friend that they have.”