Giving “Piece” of Mind, One Family at a Time.
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Autism Service Dogs are trusted with one of our society’s greatest treasures: children, and not just any children but a special group with an array of needs to keep them safe and to provide families with some much-needed stress relief.
The “autism spectrum” includes people who don’t understand social cues well. They may not interact with others. Sometimes they wander away from their family and get lost. Some experience seizures. Others become mesmerized with something or with their own body movements.
Even though autism awareness has grown, many people do not understand what’s happening when they see a child with autism bolt through a store or pause, unmoving at a water fountain. The child, not adept at social skills, probably won’t ask for help if lost.
Autism service dogs need thorough and special training to help alleviate the worry associated with these and other problems.
Besides learning basic obedience such as heel, sit, stay and down, these dogs also learn how to behave in various public places, including transit venues. Families with children who have autism often need to travel to obtain specialized therapies and help for their children. They may travel by car, bus, train, subway, plane or any other way you might imagine. That means the dog must know how to behave in each of these situations.
Then the dog must learn the specific needs of the person it will service, providing tailor-made service for that family. Does the child have a tendency to wander? Perform repetitive movements? Have seizures? The dog chosen for a family will be taught behaviors that could save the child’s life.
In addition, the dogs are taught to track and trail the child’s specific scent. This is especially important for children who may wander off or flat-out run, whether in rural or urban settings.
The in-depth training for autism service dogs is costly and takes time. Ady’s Army helps provide service dogs as well as travel expenses for treatments and fencing to keep children with autism safe at their homes. Please contact us today if you would like to help the cause or if you need information about receiving help for your family, including a young person with autism.
