Within a broader PhD project on Animal Assisted Therapy in autism, the current study will investigate the potential of equine assisted therapy (EAT) to improve quality of life in autistic children and youth. More specifically, the support of the Fund Lode Verbeeck will be used to use hair cortisol as an objective, blinded measure of stress reduction (an important component of quality of life). Using quasi-experimental design, we will compare 3 groups: children and youth attending EAT, those in contact with a horse outside a therapeutic context, and those without contact with horses. Next to other measures, we will assess hair cortisol before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and at follow-up.