Autism assistance dogs

[extremepie]

Has anyone else got an autism assistance dog? Or know anyone who has?

All the places I've looked into are not taking anymore applications at the moment but from the research I've done I think it would really benefit DS.

Does anyone have an experiences in this area?

Do they help?

At the park now, with multiple boys (2 ASD) and Ottie the assistance dog...

...yes. They help. Not in a fetch-the-paper-put-the-washing-in-the-machine fashion; but in a calming, companionable way. It takes a while for the relationship to build; but build it does. The dog is a fabulous family pet, too. But she never forgets her primary responsibility.

She is from Dogs for the Disabled, have you spoken to them? They don't make it easy (regular checks, training courses, assessments etc) but then I suppose it shouldn't be easy. It's a big commitment, but one we are all glad we made.

Thanks for the input!

Yep, dogs for the disabled was one of the first ones I tried but they said they can't accept any new requests because they have too many on the waiting list :(

I read a case study for one of the boys who had one of the dogs and it was nearly identical to my son so I really want to try and get him one, if it makes as much difference to him as it did to the boy in the case study it would change the whole family's life for the better!

Did Dogs for the Disabled talk about their PAWS scheme that helps parents to get a pet dog and use that an autism therapy pet rather than a full assistance dog? I work with them and know that the scheme is being very successful for a lot of families.

I have an autism assistance dog of a sort - there's no formal scheme for adults, but he helps me to concentrate, helps break my attention when I'm overfocusing, and is a great social 'ice-breaker' with people. Just so calming to be around and a really good way to learn about social interaction.

Horses help in similar ways, but are hell on the carpets

Mmm, you've got me thinking. Our landlord won't allow us to have a dog, but if we were able to say it was an assistance dog and we'd got it from an 'official' source, would he have a leg to stand on? Would saying no count as discrimination? . I do think a dog would be beneficial for ds, even if it only encouraged him to get out of the house more, as it is so hard to get him to take exercise. Hopefully a sensible dog would also help to avoid a repeat of last year's terrifying episode when I lost ds in the park for 15 mins and was expecting to hear a screech of brakes at any moment from the main roads all around.

Actually I do recall seeing something about the scheme for training for pet dogs to help with autistic children, my only slight reservation about this is that I have never owned a dog before and as such am very inexperienced about training them and such like.

Not that I'm being lazy I just wouldn't know where to start! It's hard enough trying to train children (who you can talk to!) :D

Didn't know horses were good too, might have to look into that :)

The PAWS scheme has training for the family as part of it, so they know how to react with the dog etc, so it's nifty. Most dog stuff is absolutely no different to teaching a child. Respectful, but in charge of them and clear about what you expect and don't expect. Great fun.

we looked into PAWS but they wont take us and our puppy as we have 2 childrenw ith ASD in the house :(

Drat.

I had no idea these schemes existed but can fully vouch for the benefits a dog brings. My thoughts on pet dogs for those who don't qualify for the schemes mentioned above:-

Breed selection is critical. Labradors and retrievers or 1st generation crosses are the "standard" assistance breeds so would be the first breed I'd look at - only moving onto something different if for some reason these breeds were unsuitable for my situation. For those who can devote a lot of time to excercising the dog a spaniel is nice dog (very affectionate) for kids generally and was on my breed shortlist. Sight hounds, (cuddle cravers)are generally gentle..

My advice to other Mums who want a dog to help their child "break the ice" when socialising in the park, on the school run etc is not to get a staff, or any of the breeds commonly demonised in the media. You want the dog to help break the ice, not put up more barriers (I do know this is unfair to staffs etc btw). I wouldn't rec a terrier for anyone whose child has poor empathy as they don't often have much patience. I'd also stay away from the traditional "guarding breeds" just in case the dog ever misinterprets the child's distress in a social situation, (just my own view having a child that suffers severe anxiety - I want the dog to calm & comfort, not " protect" iykwim).

Don't feel you HAVE to get a puppy, I knew wanted a young adult for a variety of reasons, some familes might prefer an old codger. Lots do a very good dog fostering scheme, which is a nice option for those who don't want the full responsibiliity of life time ownership or feel that an older dog would better suit their lifestyle & needs. Generally breed rescues do a much more personalised service than the big rescues, so are worth listening to when making your individual selection. They also "get" waiting till the perfect fit comes along, rather than taking the first fit female between X&Y years old - this was really important to me, and I really feel it paid off.

We eventually got a young whippet via lurcher link and she's perfect for DS, after an initial 12 months getting used to our funny ways. Do be prepared for the bond between child and dog to take a good 12 months to fully develop - this isn't an "instant fix". Ensure both child and dog have an exit strategy at all times while they adjust to each other, and NEVER leave them alone together.

She relaxes me too, not just DS. You have to genuinely like dogs and be prepared for insurance, walks etc. Training her to stay silent on the floor in cars/buses etc and to sit quietly by my feet means she gets into lots of places she strictly shouldn't from non-dog loving relatives homes to cafes ; ) The fact she's clean and doesn't chew or jump on furniture makes it easy to get friends to mind her when we go on holiday. It makes a huge difference if you train the dog with non-dog lovers needs in mind as to how restrictive you eventually find owning a dog. You'll notice official assistance & guide dogs behavior in public is impeccable - aim for the same. I use the same commands for child and dog for crossing the road, coming when called etc, which has raised odd looks but it keeps DS under control lol!

I had a bit of a look into it when I first heard of them and I'm still of the opinion that it really only differs from having a dog in that if it's an official support dog you can take it more places

I don't see any reason why you can't just train your pet to do what you want the autism assistance dog to do

dogs are much easier to train than children, and you get classes for it as well, lol

The official full support dogs are trained to the highest standards for two years at a cost of some £10k a dog. What they are bred and trained to achieve is way beyond the means of most families. It's very true that a pet dog can be great for many children with autism, there is a real difference in the end product between those three things (pet, PAWS dog, full assistance dog). All interesting stuff and really looking forward to more info being available in months and years to come about how it works in the longer term for families.

We've had our dog for 2 years and my son ignores her pretty much.

She ignores him in return.

My son has zero interest in any animal it seems. He doesn't like to touch them at all.

Oh well, at least I love her!!

I do fully agree with amberlight btw.

The training assistance dogs get is second to none, & well beyond what most experienced pet owners could ever hope to achieve, (and it all starts when the individual puppies are VERY carefully selected for temperment). The family also get specialist training too, and there is a real art to get an autistic child to bond that's best done under specialist advice. Sprinkle - perhaps PAWS could help you?

I was just so saddened by the lady who'd been turned down. SOME benefit is better than NO benefit at all, as I'm fast discovering for all kinds of things relating to try and help our kids. Tomorrow will arrive and they'll be adult if we insist on a rolls royce all the time. Sadly DIY seems to be order of the day for lots of us : ( re all types of help.

What most interests me is what happens when the assistance dog ages out? It must be harder to replace an official assistance dog for someone with autism than a traditional guide dog? How is that transition managed with a child that has now become a young adult? My last pet dog lived till he was 18 - are these dogs properly retired from duty at some point? If so do they continue to live with the family or are they rehomed?

That's a point actually. We all know how awful it is when a family loses a beloved pet, how much worse must it be when the child can't understand about death and the pet is possibly their closest friend? Ds adores our shetland pony but she's already 28 yo and I'm absolutely dreading the day something happens to her, not only because I love her as well but because I don't know how it will affect ds.

well all I thought when I looked them up was, my dog does that already or I could have trained him to do that but I didn't need him to...but I've never seen one in action so maybe I'm wrong :)

he was a fabulous dog though (he died in october) the best one I've ever owned so maybe that's skewed my judgement as well, lol

With a fully trained assistance dog, the transfer to a new assistance dog is carefully handled by the teams in question. They are normally retired at quite an early age (by what we'd think of as our own pet dog standards) because they have to be so highly skilled and they can't risk those skills declining. Problems to do with death or illness of the dog are likewise able to be handled by the team members, which is why the whole thing is so expensive to fund and do properly - it's a lifetime commitment to that child as they grow, really.

God....I tried every avenue and got a "NO" in my hopes to get one.

I even suggested that WE buy/pay for the training.....it was still a NO!

Does anyone actually have one?

Ah yes, I see someone has one. That's good. They DO exist then.

All I know is that I have a lonely, isolated child who WILL NOT leave the house. ASD/OCD/Tourettes

Particularly troubled at the moment..... It makes the whole family so sad and isolated.