Therapy and Service Dogs

TREATMENTS AND THERAPIES IMPROVING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH AUTISM AND THE PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR THEM

As the prevalence of autism increases, so do the number of treatments and therapies. One therapy that has been growing in popularity since the late ‘90s is the use of service and therapy dogs to assist individuals with autism. Dogs have shown to be effective in helping with safety, socialization, soothing meltdowns, alerting to oncoming seizures and helping teach responsibility. But is a dog the best choice for your family?

Is a service/therapy dog a wise dog. To have or to train an emotional choice to explore for your family? support dog, you must have a proper Before making the absolute decision to diagnosis from you doctor. An emotional invest in a service/therapy dog, you need to support animal does have accessibility on ask the following questions not only for the planes and in some rental housing cases individual with autism, but for the family as but not in places that are not pet friendly a whole. (like a restaurant). Emotional support • Is anyone in the family afraid of or animals need to be polite in public areas uncomfortable around dogs? and in the home. (For example, you could • Does anyone in the family have an not have an emotional support animal that animal allergy? is given special permission for housing • Are you prepared to take on the and that barks while you are away or off after another animal or become fatigued responsibilities of dog ownership - the who is aggressive or overly shy of other and not effectively prevent the elopement. day-to-day care, as well as medical and people and/or animals.) Companion dogs As an alternative option, the dog could have financial obligations? are essentially family dogs who provide two leashes, one for the child and one for • Can you commit to the ongoing training unconditional love and can be a calming the handler who knows how to command regimen? influence. Only service dogs are protected the dog. • Are you willing to be assertive and under the ADA to be allowed in places tell people they may not pet your dog where animals are not permitted. Individuals Tracking is the search and rescue phase because he is working? should seek the advice of a lawyer for the when a person has gone missing. Unlike • Are you prepared to take a dog with appropriate legal stipulations of a service typical search and rescue dogs, service dogs you everywhere? animal in their state. that are trained to track are only taught to locate the individual they work for. What is the difference between a What assistance can a service/ Regardless how well a service dog is trained, service dog, therapy dog, emotional therapy dog provide to an support dog, and companion dog? we encourage families to implement multiple Service dogs are highly trained and are individual with autism? strategies when dealing with wandering and certified to assist its handler with specific elopement. For more information, please tasks related to that person’s disability. Tethering and tracking for read “PFA Tips: When They Wander or Run Therapy dogs are trained to perform more wandering and elopement Away” at https://pathfindersforautism.org/ broad tasks for many people typically other Using a special tethering harness, a dog can articles/safety/pfa-tips-when-they-wander- than the handler. Therapy dogs might visit be tethered to a beltloop or harness worn or-run-away/. medical facilities, disaster areas or schools by the person with autism. If the dog is to help with such activities as physical, properly trained, it can prevent the person Interrupting a behavior occupational, or psychological therapy. from running off. In some cases, the person If the individual is participating in a repetitive Emotional support animals do not require is so focused on the dog, that they do not and undesired behavior, the dog can be special training and provide comfort to notice distractions which may typically taught to physically touch the person. people with depression, anxiety or certain trigger an elopement episode. Some experts This causes a distraction which may stop phobias. Emotional support animals need discourage this strategy by pointing out that the behavior. Individuals may engage in a training but not to the extent of a service the dog could become distracted and take stimming behavior as a coping mechanism continued on page 2

Help Line 443.330.5341 • Office 443.330.5370 www.pathfindersforautism.org IMPROVING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH AUTISM AND THE PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR THEM 2 Proud Sponsor of Therapy and Service Dogs – cont. PFA Resource Center when anxious. The calming effect the dog Improve social interactions What is the average cost of a can have on the person may result in the Since many people are drawn to dogs, the service dog? person halting the behavior. If the person dog can serve as a social bridge between On average, the cost to purchase a service is engaging in a behavior that could be self- the person and their peers. The dog dog is $16,000. However, fees differ from injurious, the dog can place itself between presents a common topic that the individual agency to agency, and fees are covered in the person and the source of harm. and their peers can talk about. Social a variety of ways. Some agencies fundraise interaction can be improved over time to cover all, or a portion of the fees Seizure prediction with this type of repeated conversation. required from the recipient. Some require Service dogs can be taught to predict an Dogs can also help teach individuals to the recipient to cover the full costs, while oncoming seizure as well as help protect learn to read emotions in others. While it others offer fundraising tools. the person from harm (for instance, moving may be easier to interpret the actions of a between the person and a hard surface) wagging tail, a yelp, or a playful downward Does insurance cover the cost of a during a seizure. The first step is to train dog position than the subtle expressions service dog? the dog to alert to a symptom. Some dogs made by a person, this can serve as building No. However, you may claim some of with a special bond with their owners blocks to deciphering human expression of the expenses of the service dog on your are able to see things that we cannot and emotion. taxes. Note: you may not deduct expenses pre-alert accordingly, while others can only for a therapy dog. Please consult a tax alert to the symptoms taught (like a twitch Teach daily living activities professional for more information. or falling on the ground). There are responsibilities that come with owning a dog - brushing its fur, feeding it, How do I know which agency to Calming meltdowns taking it for walks, giving it baths, etc. Many use to obtain a service dog? If the person is experiencing a meltdown, of the same daily self-care tasks we do for You want to choose an agency that is the dog can be trained to lay across the ourselves. Participating in the care of the accredited by Assistance Dogs International. person’s lap, creating deep pressure which dog can help the individual learn those can be soothing. Sometimes just the dog’s skillsets for himself. How long does it take to get a calming presence, or gently stroking the service dog? dog’s fur can relieve the stress experienced The timeframe can vary from agency to during a meltdown. agency, but the average time is two years.

Additional Resources Written by Shelly McLaughlin, Program Director, Pathfinders for Assistance Dogs International Autism https://assistancedogsinternational.org/ Thank you to Chelsea Whitaker, Assistance Dog United Campaign OTR/LFounder & COO, Taking http://www.assistancedogunitedcampaign.org/programlist.html The Lead, Inc. for her review and Pathfinders for Autism online provider database contributions to this article. https://pathfindersforautism.org/providers-services/ and choose the category http://www.takingthelead.org/ Therapy and Companion Dogs

• Help Line 443.330.5341 • Office 443.330.5370 www.pathfindersforautism.org