Greater understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder is an ongoing labor of love. Therapists recognize how much the family pet helps children to develop social skills and reduce their anxiety. There are programs who can provide the family with a dog – usually a Golden Retriever or Labrador Retriever – who is expertly trained to meet the particular needs of the child.
These dogs are like guardian angels with fur. They learn to respond to two sets of leaders: the parents and the child, they understand their responsibility for assisting the child, and they are deeply empathetic to everyone in the family.
As a constant presence, they help the child to develop bonding. Also, they are trained to maintain alertness and calmness in crowds, sensing and responding gently if the child becomes keyed up and distressed, or starts to wander.
‘Canine Magic’ is one program where ASD dogs are specially trained by the group, Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities (ECAD), to protect the child who tends to suddenly dart away from the family. The dog will run after the child, or, if harnessed to the child, will halt and act as anchor to keep the child from running into traffic or a pool, or disappearing into a crowd.
A National Institutes of Health study revealed yet another advantage to having an autism service dog. They act as a ‘social bridge’ in new situations. People are drawn to these remarkably gentle dogs. Then they will strike up a conversation with the parents. This contributes to a greater understanding of those unfamiliar with autism, and more participation of the family as they feel welcomed into community activities.
The child learns to make friends by introducing his dog. This deflects social pressure away from the anxious child, and gives the kids something in common to share right from the start through their love of animals.
Parents interviewed for the study reported that community members become more tolerant and patient with the family and the extra time it takes to do things in some instances. This relaxed tensions among family members. The word that kept coming up was ‘joy.’ An autism service dog brings joy to the family.
Parents referred to their humble working dog as intuitive, and as ‘an ocean of calmness.’ The dog will know when the parents are having a stressful day, and will support them as well as the child.
Another advantage was teaching the child to have some responsibilities for feeding or caring for their dog. This gave them a sense of pride and accomplishment, and also strengthened the bond they have with their service dog.
Although parents remarked that the excellence of training made all the difference, the trainers themselves remarked how amazed they were that some dogs continue to teach themselves, learning to recognize seizures and get help, for example.
There are several training schools for autism service dogs. One resource to learn more about it is at autismspeaks.org or other autism associations.
Autism Speaks makes the delineation between service dogs, therapy dogs and companion dogs. Companions are family pets or rescue animals that go through a basic training program. Service dogs are bred and selected for the job, extensively trained and often trained to meet the specific physical and emotional needs of one individual. These dogs are certified according to standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Therapy dogs are emotional assistants, often going with the child to the doctor or to school. They are trained to be especially affectionate and calming.
Some of the things service dogs are taught to do is to walk with two leashes (one held by the parent, the other attached to the child’s harness), learn to interpret and interrupt early signs of escalating anxiety or repetition with a simple nose nudge, or to ‘ground’ the child who is showing physical symptoms of an anxiety event by ‘leaning’ into them. They learn to sit on the child’s feet or to apply gentle but strong physical pressure to break the distress cycle without scaring the child. These dogs also retrieve items or help with special needs, like getting dressed.
The parents or a third-party handler go through training, too, and they must be able to provide excellent care of their dog before they can receive one.
Can adults get an ASD service dog? Yes. Anyone who has a qualified medical diagnosis of autism or autism spectrum disorder can qualify for a service dog. Adults have a different set of needs, though, so it is important to find trainers who specialize in this. The dog often needs to step in to calm and soothe the adult handler when overstimulated, overstressed, or very uncomfortable.
No matter who they are paired with, the calming presence of an autism service dog, with such keen senses to watch over these special children, provides greater stability and joy for everyone who has the privilege of knowing one.
Heron’s Crossing provides end-of-life care for pets in the Metro Atlanta area. In-home appointments with compassionate vets are available. If you’d prefer a home-like setting away from your home, our Decatur office is also available by appointment.