Helen, William and Assistance Dog Percy out shopping. © Dogs for the Disabled
Dining out. © Dogs for the Disabled
In 2007/08 The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation awarded Dogs for the Disabled £5,000 towards a pilot project, which is being run over three years, to partner specially trained assistance dogs with children with autism.
Studies have found that autistic children are able to demonstrate positive behaviours towards a dog that they may not display towards people; this is particularly evident in tactile stimulation, touching and hugging. One particular case concerned a 3-year old child who, despite having the ability to communicate, rarely chose to do so. Within a week of being partnered with her assistance dog, the child was giving the dog commands to ‘come’, ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ and would spend hours whispering into the dog’s ear.
The service that Dogs for the Disabled provides is open to families with autistic children aged between 3 and 10, who are displaying less severe disorders on the autistic spectrum. The assistance dogs are trained on numerous tasks, including leading in front of the family, which provides focus for the child and distracting tasks so that when a child is showing repetitive behaviour, such as ‘arm flapping’, the dog will nudge the child to encourage them to stop.
To date two autistic children have been partnered with an assistance dog through Dogs for the Disabled, with the intention that by the end of 2009 a further 16 children will be benefiting from the same service.