Dogs/Autism/Special Needs

Comment

Comment by Debbie V & Daisy on October 20, 2008 at 4:21pm

Melissa,
Thanks for the link. That link led me to the Delta Society. That site had therapy trainers, programs and other info. I hope I can find somebody in my area to help with selecting a puppy and some training. The cost is far more than I could ever afford, the puppy we will be purchasing is already going to make a pretty good dent in the checking account. I'm just hoping I can find somebody who will charge a minimal fee to give advice or help with temperment selection.

Please send any other info my way. At least I have a while. I probably won't be getting a puppy for about 4-6 months at the earliest.
Thanks,
Debbie

Comment by Patty Barnes on October 20, 2008 at 3:41pm

My granddaughter with autism visited this weekend. She delighted in the puppies and was very good with them. The puppies brought us together in a way that doesn't happen often. These babies, human and canine, are gifts from God.

Comment by melissa on October 20, 2008 at 6:30am

Hi Debbie,
I was looking and found this website http://www.therapypets.org/Links.html
Not sure if any listed are in your area. I have a friend whose niece has cp and they are certified therapy dog handlers. I will ask her about a book and get back with you.
Take care,
Melissa

Comment by melissa on October 20, 2008 at 6:14am

I love the reading idea Lisa sent. I would love to try that! Ann, I would be happy to share what I know about autism, please feel free to email me anytime or post any questions. As far as training goes, I was told they just need the basic obedience training. That is if you are going through a group that sets up dogs with families. Any training after that, they take care of. If you are donating direct, you may want to contact someone who does training for this type of donation to find out what you should do. It is a good question, one I would love to have answered as I am hoping to donate as well. Maybe someone else on the board can help with that.
Great to have you Ann!
Melissa
farmerdoodles@yahoo.com

Comment by Debbie V & Daisy on October 1, 2008 at 5:19pm

Hi all,
It’s nice to see this group here. I have a daughter with mild CP. She is 6 years old. I am hoping to get a Goldendoodle this spring/summer and hopefully train him/her to be a therapy dog. We don't need to be certified, but it would be nice, I was just hoping the extra training specific to my daughters needs would be helpful.

She is very social but does not have social etiquette. Her maturity level is closer to a 4 year old. The kids her age don’t “get” her. She is also very high energy. A puppy would be great!!

She needs a really honest loving friend, one that doesn't judge, just loves her unconditionally. I’m hoping she would develop a great love for our new goldendoodle and possibly bring more friends her way.

The breeder I’ve been emailing with told me I’d need to bring somebody (a therapy dog trainer) with me when selecting my dog if I needed help in that area because she doesn’t do it personally.

Does anybody now who I could contact in California, the east bay or general area? Or even a good book in knowing what to look for in a therapy dog?

I look forward to being a part of this group and reading all the great comments and advice.

Debbie

Comment by melissa on October 1, 2008 at 4:40pm

Hi to all the new members! It is nice to see school professionals joining in this group as well. Aside from all the social benefits I see, I also noticed an increase in physical activity! Some kids have low muscle tone or fatigue easily. My kiddo was def. not a big mover. Our doodles and retriever have given him a big enough incentive to get moving and to play hard! Which of course helps improve his focus. One area we used the the dogs in helping him is in training. Some of the higher functioning kids can be controlling and that makes it hard to take direction. This is not saying they are obstinate kids who just want to be disobedient, it is just one way autism can affect them. So we work together on training the pups which also helps him learn to follow my lead. I think the possiblilties are endless!
Sharon...my friend has a niece with cp and she is a certified dog handler for therapy dogs. She has come over to help me as well. The pics on my website are from her.
Take care!
melissa

Comment by Christy and Yoda on September 24, 2008 at 4:47pm

Hi Meredith,
I work with families of children with severe autism. One of the families I work with got a trained therapy Australian labradoodle about a year ago. Their dog obviously has specific training to work with their son and help with issues such as elopement, but I know that one of the other main goals is to socialize the child and provide him with a companion. I would think that anything that you could do to create a bond between the children and the dog would be beneficial. Who wouldn't want to be friends with a happy(non-judgemental) doodle? Also, I would think that you could use the dog as a bridge between the children and their peers. Most kids love dogs, so it would provide a common point for the kids with higher functioning autism to bond with their peers/and or a conversation starter. Good luck and I think you are doing a great thing!

Comment by melissa on September 7, 2008 at 5:42am

Hi Ringo's mom,
I haven't been on in a week, so I just saw your post. What I meant by parent to parent is just by talking with other parents who are in the same boat. He is the same kid, but the diagnosis helps in knowing how to best help him. I still have not come right out and told our son. I have never made it a point to hide it from him...we talk openly about autism in our home, books lying around all over etc. He has even been in IEP meetings with us. So, I have not figured out if it is just all going over his head, or if we have just made it such a normal thing (always keeping it positive) that he has never felt the need to question it. One site you may want to visit is Stephen Shore's http://www.autismasperger.net/ He has a book about this subject. I have met this guy and is so sweet. The hardest thing to deal with is when he questions why the kids in the neighborhood won't play with him. Somehow telling him it is because he has autism just did not feel right. I am in Ohio, so one resource we have is the Autism Scholarship Program. It allows us to take our IEP and leave the school to secure services privately. We currently use RDI which is an approach that attempts to remediate the defecits of autism...it focuses on the relationship skills. We have been very happy with this type of program.

Comment by Ringo'sMom on September 1, 2008 at 6:21pm

Hi Melissa, yeah, things are stressfull right now...it's funny..he's still the same kid today as he was yesterday, but just having that 'label' is so frightening. But reassuring, too, because now we can pursue appropriate help. His case is very mild, so most people don't even know. What is Parent to Parent? I'd like to talk to other parents about how to go about telling my son he has this diagnosis, and when to tell him. He has no clue. Thanks!

Comment by melissa on August 28, 2008 at 7:39am

Hi Ringo's Mom!
Thanks for posting. I hope things are going okay for you. I know right now is probally a tough time. My son was 4 when he was diagnosed. I love the red doodles myself. I am hoping to eventually end up with some red puppies. Feel free to email me anytime if you want to talk about asd. Parent to Parent has been the best resource I have found.
Melissa

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