We all know that children on the spectrum can often times struggle to fit in socially including performing appropriate conversations and interactions with their peers. The ability to express emotion to animals is often easier for our kids (no judgment) but it doesn’t mean they will show their enthusiasm like we think they should! We have to remember (especially with our non verbal kids) that there is communication (energy) between our kids and our dogs that we can’t see or understand. We teach our police and military handlers all the time that if you are frustrated or having a bad day that the energy or vibe goes right down the leash to your dog. Handlers may find the dog will not work for them as well or at all when the handler’s feel this way. So, if our dogs can pick up on our negative energy, don’t you think they understand the unspoken love or positive energy from our kids? I have to say YES YES!

The frustration we hear the most is that, “the dog follows me around more than my child, I would really like for the dog to follow my child!!” This is where the family must stay structured and disciplined and follow tips from our trainers as often as possible. This situation often forms when so many more positive things come from the mom or dad instead of the child. For example: As busy moms do, they feed the dog, walk the dog, give the dog treats and bones, buy the toys, while the child may walk the dog in public. What is happening in this situation is that nine out of the ten possible positive situations are coming from mom. So, of course the dog follows her around! We can help you through this, but you must be patient and willing to work! The bond between the kids and the dogs can be within days or take several months (especially with our kids on the spectrum who struggle with expressing their feelings).

So we have to remind ourselves that our kids on the spectrum are amazingly different in showing their appreciation for our help, different does not mean wrong! Another great example of nonverbal bonding is a child who loved home depot more than life itself. He was fascinated with numbers and all the prices of the lawn mowers in home and garden. If this child had a good week, his reward was to go to home depot on Saturday’s, the problem was the parents could not get out of the store in less than 3 hours most times! We placed a dog with this child and home depot trips went from hours to 30 minutes with the help of a furry friend! This child is unable to communicate verbally, so in our opinion this is an unspoken bond between the child and dog. This communicates to me a sense of teamwork that we may never understand.

My advice to our families is to be positive, be patient, and stick to the basics our trainers lay out for you!

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Of all the many trials life always manages to bring to any parent’s life, one of the most difficult and painful to deal with is learning her or his child suffers from a serious medical condition. When the medical condition is of unknown etiology (cause), and when treatment options are limited and healing is uncertain, the parent’s worry, stress and deep pain are significantly intensified.

Meet Jake.
Jake, a sunny child who wants to be an astronaut when he grows up. He’s also a child with autism who, with his parents’ unwavering and loving support, has been v a l i a n t l y b a t t l i n g multiple manifestations of a condition not yet fully understood by medical experts. Aside from his condition, Jake is a sweet, fun loving, happy, thoughtful and caring boy. His parents continue to discover portions of his personality and indicate he’s highly intuitive and very grounded. He also loves to play with Legos and recently celebrated his eighth birthday with a Lego Party.

Before Jake was three years old, he was diagnosed with autism, and his manifestations of this condition are varied and constantly changing. His behavior is affected by many different stimuli, including his extraordinary keen sensitivity to environmental fluctuations involving changes in atmospheric pressure, and solar and moon cycles. In addition to marked food and environmental allergies, Jake also manifests speech fluency issues, sensory integration and auditory processing disorders, social integration issues in numerous situations, reflux and anxiety disorders. Moreover, he suffered from unrelenting nightmares which prevented him from restful sleep and made it impossible for him to sleep in his own bed, causing him to sleep in his parents’ bed.

Jake’s parents have been blessed to have the necessary resources to tap into a myriad of different possible treatment options available for him. The following are among the many therapies his parents have made available for him: Speech Therapy, Oral Motor Therapy, Social Skills, Reading Tutor, Writing Tutor, The Listening Program, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Gluten Free / Casein Free Diet, Occupational Therapy, Daily Epsom Salt Baths, Daily MB-12 Injections, Special Brain Therapy utilizing LENZ, Osteopathic Treatments including Cranial Sacral Therapy, Hands On Manipulation, Crystal Treatments, SCIO and BICOM treatments. His parents also follow the Defeat Autism Now! Protocol for diet, supplements, and anti-fungals.

Every time Jake starts to plateau on any given therapy, his parents try something new. A service dog was something they had not tried and thought it might help them achieve their goal for Jake to be able to continue to live his most independent and successful life. When they read about the outstanding work service dogs are doing with autistic children, they decided to explore further this alternative. Although initially somewhat skeptical and apprehensive of how effective this approach would be, they personally investigated it and decided to contact Highland Canine Training in Harmony, North Carolina. Highland has different programs to train service dogs for children and adults with disabilities, including a special program to train dogs to meet the specific needs of children with autism. Highland completed a detailed evaluation of Jake’s personality and symptomatology, as well as his family dynamics and home circumstances. They also discussed dog selection and what specific tasks the parents wished for the dog to perform to help Jake and the family. Once all this information was gathered and analyzed, the Highland professional staff created a dog profile and, based on this profile, they acquired a female standard poodle they felt would meet Jake’s and the family’s requirements and needs.

Meet Rocket.
Before the poodle’s actual training began, she was initiated into an intensive socialization process to expose her to different situations, persons, places, sights, sounds, other animals, and the like. During this period, Jake and his parents had the opportunity to meet and greet their dog and spend some time with her. Jake, the future astronaut, immediately named her “Rocket”. After this initial socialization process, Rocket underwent an intense four months
training on different areas, including among others: on and off-leash obedience training, trailing, repetitive behavior interruption and environmental stability training. After Rocket was delivered to Jake’s home, Jake and his entire family underwent a one week training on how to best handle her in different situations, including going to the grocery store, church, therapies, out to eat in restaurants and a number of other activities. Given Rocket’s loving temperament and outstanding training, she and Jake bonded easily. When they visited places, many people would comment on Rocket, but would refer to her as a “he” thinking she was a male dog. This would really upset Jake, who vehemently commented to everyone “She’s a GIRL dog!”

Because Jake would get so upset about this, his parents knew something had to be done to prevent this. The answer came from Jake himself: “Let’s get her a collar of pink pearls so that everyone will know she’s a girl!” From that point forward, Rocket wears her pink pearls all day long, everywhere she goes with Jake. Since her placement with Jake on April of 2010, Rocket has made a remarkable difference in Jake’s life. She attends school with him and also accompanies him on therapies, doctors’ appointments, at camp, and on many other outings. As a result, Jake has become much more independent, outgoing and social and has made new friends. He’s also much less stressed when he visits his doctors. Just as important, Jake has benefitted from improved sleep and – for the first time ever in his life – he has been able to sleep in his own bed, with Rocket lovingly snuggled by his side.
~ ~ ~
=======================================================================

“Our journey has been so long. However, Rocket has been
a HUGE step in Jake’s recovery. Rocket, for lack of
better terminology, has also helped Jake be the “cool kid”!!
She is an excellent ice breaker and a nice segway to meeting new friends.
This is INVALUABLE.
FROM THE FIRST NIGHT SHE WAS HERE,
HE HAS SLEPT IN HIS BED.
He is eating now better than ever and trying new things.
She continues to keep him company and
keeps a watchful eye on him when we are not always with him (school).
Rocket has been a nice companion and friend to play in the backyard with.
Rocket was the
BIGGEST BLESSING FOR OUR FAMILY
IN THE YEAR 2010.
WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR HER!!”
Jill (Jake’s Mom)

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Kaiser was delivered to his family at the end of July. The staff spent 5 days being a part of the family and transitioning Kaiser back into his home as a service dog. We have continued to work with the family to guarantee Kaisers success with Kevin, and we will work with each Autism Assistance Dog family for the working life of the dog. So, we frequently talk with the family to get updates … below you can read how things are going with Kaiser

August 7th – 5 days after Kaiser was delivered
Guess what?!?!?!? Kevin made it from 9:30-6:10 a.m. last night in bed with Kaiser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve been celebrating all day!! Kevin was quite proud of himself too. He fell asleep around 9, I snuck out around 9:15, but he woke up around 9:25. Instead of bolting out of his bed, he stayed in bed and called for me to come to him. This, alone, was huge progress!!! I came in and he fell back to sleep immediately and stayed that way until I had to wake him for school. Kevin hates to wake up, but likes it when I ask Kaiser to “touch” him over and over. Seems to get Kevin to wake up and get out of bed with a smile!
Hope you are well. Say hi to Jason, and please be sure to tell him we’ve had a major sleeping victory!!!!!

August 12 – 10 days after Kaiser was delivered
Kevin has now completed 3 nights without getting up to leave his room–including last night! This is a dream come true:-)

August 18th – 16 days after Kaiser was delivered
The boys are both improving on their sleep. Kevin has a new chart in his room with train stickers. He earns one every night he does not come into my room. So far, he has three (we started 4 nights ago!). I am very proud of him as he is doing much better. Stephen, not to be outdone, has his own chart, and he earns a sticker for falling asleep in his own bed without mommy or daddy. He’s doing well too. Once they get 7 stickers, they have money to spend at the train store. The excitement is mounting!
We are leaving for Perry, GA on Thurs. at 3 pm to attend Kevin’s Special Olympics Horse show.

PS: Kaiser had the ultimate challenge this past week–a trip to Target, immediately followed by a stop at PetSmart (lots and lots of pets as it was adoption day), immediately followed by a trip to Whole Foods (we discovered that he likes the cheese dept. a LOT–it is very smelly). Poor dog, I think we tortured him! However, he did very well under distractions with animals, people and smells. Really could not have been any better. I am very impressed with him! Kevin did great too!

August 30th – 16 days after Kaiser was delivered 8/30
Dear Bobbie,
Hope you are well! As we speak, Kevin is sitting at the table watching the video of when you all arrived. He says”I want Ms. Bobbie and Mr. Jason to come back–SOON”.
Kaiser is doing great! Here’s a summary of what’s going on.
Last week we had our first traveling experience with Kaiser. We went by car about 3 hours from home to Perry, GA for the Special Olympics Equestrian Show. We had reservations at a hotel that does not allow pets. In order to attempt to avoid conflict on our arrival Jerry went in alone and got our room keys. He then came out to the car to get the rest of us. He was walking with Kevin and Kaiser. The lady at the desk completely freaked out and told us that there was no way we were coming in there with our dog. She was pointing to the “No Pets” sign. I calmly presented her with Kaiser’s service dog documentation that you provided us and gave her the page with the Federal Laws on it. Meanwhile, in order that Kevin not witness a scene, Jerry, Kevin, Kaiser and Stephen went straight to our room. I stayed to resolve the conflict. After seeing the paperwork and making copies of it for her manager, the desk clerk informed me that we could stay, but that we had to use the side entrance only and by no means was Kaiser going to be allowed in the breakfast area. I told her that was a violation of the Federal Law which allows access to these areas. She responded that the hotel was not subject to those Laws and besides “no one wants to see your dog while they are eating”. Nice. I told her that if she had any further questions she was free to call the sheriff’s office, and I went to my room. About a half an hour later, the phone in my room rang. It was the desk clerk. She apologized profusely and told me that Kaiser was most welcome and could be anywhere in the hotel. The next day the manager herself apologized as well. Problem solved:-)

Kaiser himself behaved like a gentleman everywhere we went. He was calm and well-behaved around the horses and other dogs at the Horse Show. He helped Kevin sleep and was perfect in the hotel room. Usually, sleeping in a hotel room is not a good thing for Kevin. With Kaiser he simply closed his eyes and went to sleep!! On the first night, Jerry was awoken to the sound of Kaiser vomiting, and he quickly got him away from the hotel bedding and the carpet and got him to aim right in the middle of his doggie bed. It was fun cleaning it up, but at least we didn’t have to pay for any damages to the hotel! We think Kaiser might have been just a bit car-sick from the long ride. He was fine after that.

On our first trip into the barn, we took our eyes off of him for one second. Guess what he found? Yup. Horse poop. His favorite! Jerry had to pick it out of his mouth with his hands. About five minutes after that, we were introduced to Kevin’s teammates’ parents. Since Jerry had not yet had a chance to wash his hands, he had to explain and politely decline to shake hands with them. Everyone was busting out laughing. What a way to meet the team!

We ate out at several restaurants. Kaiser seems to get that it is no place to “act like a dog”. He pretty much glues himself to one spot for the entire meal and does not even attempt to grab crumbs. Amazing.

On our way home, we stopped at a very formal Catholic church for Mass. We’re talking stained glass windows, marble floors and lots and lots of incense. Kaiser just stayed put and was a great service dog. He would perk up every time we changed position, confirm that he didn’t have to do anything, and then put his sweet little head back on the marble floor. The only way anyone would know he was there was by the occasional tinkling of his collar or leash against the marble.

In other good news, Kevin is doing even better with sleeping. Since we returned on Sunday night, we’ve been leaving Kevin and Kaiser in the bed by themselves, while one of us lays on the floor out of sight. Kevin will voice-check us from time to time to make sure he’s not alone, but this is a big step from having us lay across the foot of the bed with his feet tucked under us. Eventually, we will keep moving farther and farther out of the room until we are not in the room while he falls asleep any more. In addition, Kevin has now made it 6 nights without coming into our room. 3 out of the last 4 nights!!! Woohoo!!! The dog and the train sticker system is definitely working well. We are almost where we want to be with sleeping.

We have run into a road-bump with Kevin’s Sunday school class at church. He is in a class with all of his friends from last year. We missed the first class last week because of Special Olympics, and I guess they gave the class the heads-up that Kaiser was coming with Kevin this Sunday. Well, apparently a boy with severe dog allergies has now come forward. We were notified by the church this week that Kaiser cannot come to class because of the concerns for this boy. We are so crushed because we were looking forward to the social benefits in a non-threatening and familiar setting. We also wanted to use it as a testing ground to see if Kaiser could help Kevin at school. The church is working with us, and may create a new class just for Kevin and Kaiser so we can still bring him. We were firm with the church that Kevin and Kaiser are a team and that we need to find a solution where they both can come. Jeanne, his music teacher that you met, is the one trying to make something work. I’m sure she’ll figure out something. We checked the law (not that we were going to make a big stink at our place of worship) and churches are not subject to Federal Law on service dog access. Interesting. Very hard to know what to do when put into a situation where one child’s needs are in conflict with another’s. Stay tuned.

Sincerely,
Sara
Kevin’s mom

As you can see from the update about Kaiser the family is working very hard to incorporate him into Kevin’s life and they are using Kaiser to his fullest potential. Kaiser is also amazing with trailing, this will be used if Kevin were to ever wonder away and get lost. The family has dedicated themselves to learning trailing and to practicing with Kaiser weekly. Included in all Autism Assistance Dog training is a trailing component. When we deliver the dog, we teach you the basics about trailing and how to work your dog. Having an Autism Assistance Dog is very beneficial for many families and it’s a wonderful addition to their family. But it is an addition to the family, a service dog that needs to be cared for and training maintained. We are always around to help so you don’t have to do it alone. Be looking for more updates on Kaiser and Kevin.

If you have questions about our Autism Assistance Dog Training or would like further information, please feel free to contact us a www.autismassistancedog.com or Toll Free 866.200.2207, Locally at 704.498.7907

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One of the newest resources for assisting these families are Autism Assistance Dogs. These service dogs come in a variety of sizes and breeds and are specifically matched to meet the needs of the individual child. While out in public working with the dogs that we have in training, I am often asked “So, what do Autism Assistance Dogs do?” My answer is very often the same. These well trained dogs have a vast number of benefits for families and children suffering with autism.

First of all, these dogs serve as a “social bridge” for autistic children. Often, because of their behavior, these children are excluded from social settings by other children. Because a good number of children are automatically drawn to dogs, these social encounters are often increased and longer lasting. These dogs often accompany their children to school where they participate in the classroom with reading and recreational programs. This often helps to nurture increased participation in school activities with both classmates and the autistic child.

Autistic children also commonly exhibit self stimulating behaviors, also referred to as “stimming”. These repetitive behaviors include spinning, shouting, and hitting to name a few. Assistance dogs are often trained to disrupt these stimming behaviors by touching the child on the hand or leg. By doing this, the dog is able to redirect the focus of the child and break the cycle of the behavior.

Sleeping and night terrors are also common problems associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders. These dogs also assist with sleeping and creating better sleep habits with these children. Many Autistic children are very tactile and often sleep better when they experience some type of pressure and warmth at bed time. This often leads them to sleeping in bed with their parents for years, which can be disruptive for the entire family. Recently we delivered an assistance dog to a family in Florida. The first night that we arrived, the seven-year-old child, accompanied by his dog, slept soundly in his own bed for the first time in over five years.

Trailing is another valuable skill that these dogs are trained for in order to assist families with autistic children. Many of these children bolt or run away from their homes and public places. After bolting these children are often drawn to bodies of water and the end result can be fatal. These dogs are capable of locating the child in a variety of environments and terrain. This ability to locate the child quickly greatly reduces the risk of serious harm. Therefore, the ability to recover these children quickly is a valuable asset to any family with an autistic child.

Other benefits of having an Autism Assistance Dog are countless. These dogs increase independence, often increase the child’s vocabulary, and provide an overall calming effect for the child in what they deem to be stressful situations. We have seen that these dogs reduce emotional agitation, help children focus and work harder in school, and give these children more of a sense of pride and purpose by working with a service dog.

If you have questions about our programs or services, please feel free to contact us at info@autismassistancedog.com or 866.200.2207

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It is imperative for a dog trainer to pick the best fit for the family when placing an autism dog into their forever home. Socialization and the dogs ability to handle high stress situations are a huge part in deciding which dog to place with the child.  For example, children with autism often have unexplainable breakdowns or meltdowns that can be loud, aggressive, and/0r destructive. Simple behaviors like rocking, hand flapping and mumbling are common behaviors that most house dogs are not accustomed too, so it is import that austim dogs have a solid threshold and strong nerves so they can handle these situations and the life style of the family.

Autistic children struggle communicating with people and that is often what sets them off with tantrums.  However it has been seen that autistic children are able to understand animals (especially dogs) more so than people.  Again dogs don’t require alot of comminication, they are there to be loved on, and most importantly they do not reach and grab touch or poke the children. The children are able to give affection (and recieve it) when they are ready and in their own way. 

On another note Autism dogs give the parents and other siblings an outlet for their stresses as well.  There is a certain comfort in knowing and understanding that you have a tool at your fingertips at all times.  This is especially important with the tracking/trailing aspect of what these dogs training.  However, parents endure so much when trying to communicate and sooth their child twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. To me, having a child that you are not always able to comfort or understand is a huge hardship and I have the utmost respect for their dedication to their family. Parents and siblings of an autistic child also need an outlet and comfort tool for their stress as well. Autism dogs can provide this outlet, by offering support, an ear, a soft belly to rub, and with  these dogs you are able to take them out in public for a stroll or jog through the park.  Better yet, you can load them in the car and take them with you on vacation.   The entire family can benefit from these dogs.

Autism dogs can range from high dollar imports to a pound puppy saved from a shelter or rescue group.  Please understand that not just any dog will work.  I encourage you to research and talk with your trainer about the dog that will best fit in your home.  Please feel free to contact us at www.autismassistancedog
.com or 704-728-9494  with any questions or concerns you may have regarding autism dogs.

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The dog must not be startled by screaming, flapping of hands, or other loud noises.  The last thing you want is a dog that bolts when a child has a meltdown.

Basic Obedience as well as Off-Leash Training are must.  Commands must be obeyed in a timely manner.  If your child is trying to run off and is tethered to dog, giving the Stay command to the dog makes it difficult for the child to go anywhere.  This works much better than having to grab the child by the wrist or hand which can upset an autistic child.

Giving commands to the dog allows the dog to lead the child gently.  Simply giving the come command to dog will make leaving a store or a restaurant a much simpler task.  The dog will walk the child out saving the parent and child a lot grief if the child is reluctant to leave.

Please keep in mind the dog will be a member of the family and should get along with everyone.  Growling, raising hackles and aggressive behavior are not acceptable. 

The breed of dog is up to you and your child.  The most important thing is the dog’s temperament.  Here are a few of the many requirements for a good Assistance Dog for your child.
Your dog must be friendly to strangers, walk on a loose leash, and walk with the child off leash. Your dog needs to be able to walk through a crowd calmly. If you tell the dog to sit he/she must stay until released. In the presence of other dogs your dog must be well behaved and must listen to your commands. If someone bumps into your dog or your child your dog must remain stable and focused. Your dog must NEVER jump on people, family members or strangers. When meeting strangers your dog must remain calm and collected. Your dog be focused on your child. He/she should not be distracted by the behavior of other children, adults or pets. Training should be so dependable that your dog will refuse treats, toys and other distractions from other people. These are only some of the requirements for Therapy and Assistance Dogs. You can view them on our website www.highlandcanine.com. 
Please feel free to contact us for more information. You can reach us at 704-500-6810 or 704-728-9494.

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This afternoon my client Rena and her “In Training” therapy dog, Brenna showed up for their usual 4:30 Therapy Dog class.  Rena was smiling more than usual and couldn’t wait to share her day with me.  Rena is a teacher at Winding Springs Elementary School in Charlotte, N.C. who regularly takes Brenna to school with her.  Brenna is a Reading Dog who helps children read more confidently.  Rena told me today was different for Brenna and for herself.    Following is why Rena was so happy. 

 As Rena and Brenna were leaving for the day a co-worker in another classroom was struggling with a dilema.  A little boy, who is autistic, was in a state of panic and because he was unable to communicate his feelings he was being disruptive and out of control.  He  was also desperately trying to get the attention of a little girl who wanted nothing to do with him.  His behavior was making her very uncomfortable.  The teacher contacted the Principal and asked for the Counselor, the Principal told her not to get the Counselor, but to go get Brenna.   The teacher got Brenna from Rena and took her to her classroom.  Brenna went to the little boyand sensing his anxiety lay at his feet.  Her calming effect caused the little boy to calm down.  He started petting her and speaking to her the best way he knew how.   Soon he was at ease, he was calm and felt much better.  The little girl was no longer intimidated by his behavior and walked with the teacher, the little boy and Brenna down the hall and back to her owner.

Rena now wants to get into our Autistic Dog Program.  She wants to train Brenna to become a service dog that works with autistic children.

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In this forum we will post answers to questions, articles on dog training, articles on the benefits of having an Autism Assistance Dog as well as success stories and upcoming events.

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