What is an Autism Service Dog?
An Autism Service or Assistance Dog is a dog that is trained specific tasks to assist someone suffering from autism spectrum disorders, or similar sensory processing disorder. These dogs learn tasks to help adults and children alike to function as normally as possible or assist family members of these individuals in everyday life.
What can an Autism Service Dog do for me or my family member?
Depending on the severity and level of function can depend on the tasks and ways that the dog can help. Most people, both children and adults with Autism have a certain level of difficulty communicating with the general public and building relationships. The dogs help create a "Social Bridge" as a conversation starter, build confidence, increase verbal communication skills, and provide a constant companion to their handler. Autism Assistance Dogs are often trained to do tasks to assist in every day life such as: breaking stimming behavior, picking up dropped items, stability, and much much more!
An Autism Service or Assistance Dog is a dog that is trained specific tasks to assist someone suffering from autism spectrum disorders, or similar sensory processing disorder. These dogs learn tasks to help adults and children alike to function as normally as possible or assist family members of these individuals in everyday life.
What can an Autism Service Dog do for me or my family member?
Depending on the severity and level of function can depend on the tasks and ways that the dog can help. Most people, both children and adults with Autism have a certain level of difficulty communicating with the general public and building relationships. The dogs help create a "Social Bridge" as a conversation starter, build confidence, increase verbal communication skills, and provide a constant companion to their handler. Autism Assistance Dogs are often trained to do tasks to assist in every day life such as: breaking stimming behavior, picking up dropped items, stability, and much much more!
Autism Service Dogs and Children
Anyone who has cared for a child or teen with autism, knows what a struggle basic, daily tasks can be. Just the sheer presence of the dogs in a home have calming effect on the children, but what they are trained to do can be life changing! Below we have listed some of the most common difficulties autistic children face, and how our service dogs can help!
The dogs can be trained to break the stimming by using "Tactile Stimulation", this means using their nose or paws to touch or poke to interrupt the behaviors and bring the attention onto themselves. By breaking the behavior and bringing the attention back onto the dog, they have a calming effect on the child and help reduce the need to stim.
Anyone who has cared for a child or teen with autism, knows what a struggle basic, daily tasks can be. Just the sheer presence of the dogs in a home have calming effect on the children, but what they are trained to do can be life changing! Below we have listed some of the most common difficulties autistic children face, and how our service dogs can help!
- Bolting/Wandering
- Self Stimulatory/Destructive Behaviors
The dogs can be trained to break the stimming by using "Tactile Stimulation", this means using their nose or paws to touch or poke to interrupt the behaviors and bring the attention onto themselves. By breaking the behavior and bringing the attention back onto the dog, they have a calming effect on the child and help reduce the need to stim.
- Meltdowns