A Bridge to His World: Dog Helps Rochester Boy with Autism to Connect

Assignment 5

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Read the following text carefully. 2. You are required to provide the answer of the questions raised by this mother. 3. Last date for submission is 30th July, 2006 4. Submit your assignment on my yahoo e-mail address: dr_nsalman @yahoo.com

READING TEXT:

The National Geographic aired a programme called Dogs with Jobs. It was about a 7 - 8 year old severely Autistic boy. They strapped the boy at the waist with the dog and the dog controlled him. He used to run here and there uncontrollably on roads. After a few days he started showing affection towards the dog and playing with him. After a few months they showed him playing on the slide along with other children very much like typical children.

Now as for my son he can manage the studies in school. But somehow in spite of being with children he is not social. He wants to be social but then he has a limited language so he is left out. I was wondering if keeping a dog at home can make a difference at this stage because he is still very small and if it gets corrected now it would be great. Dogs do not speak so he will have to talk. Has anyone else tried it?

The psychologist who helps me in school says that he might get stuck to the dog and not talks to people. I doubt so. Lately he has been spending too much time on the computer and playing piano so his behavior regressed during the winter break. Now we have removed them. Tell me would it be a good idea to keep a dog or would it have an adverse effect.

Dr. Nasir Sulman Instructor

Dear Parent,

As you must be knowing that a child with Autism does not connect well with their environment. Autism manifests itself most strikingly as impairments in communication and in the formation of social relationships. Children with Autism are often nonverbal or when they are verbal they usually do not use the skill to actively communicate with other people in their environment. Many children with this disability have a strong need for a structured, routine environment; change creates feelings or fear and/or anxiety. Some children even exhibit serious behavioral changes including, at times, self-injury. Another behavior common to Autism is a tendency to wander away. Parents often refer to their children as “Houdini,” stating they are able to escape from even the most secured environment and the family usually has multiple locks on every door and window in the home. When this happens, the child may be in a life-threatening situation, especially if they are already out of the physical sight of their caregiver. Children with Autism often don’t respond to their names consistently, if they respond at all. They rarely understand the many dangers in their environment; an approaching car; a stranger with ill intentions; an aggressive dog separated from the child by nothing more than a gate, which is quite easily opened. Many parents report that their greatest fears center around their child being missing or when out with their child that they might look away only for a minute and turn to find their child gone or darting out into the path of an oncoming car.

Every family reports that their child with autism has few, if any, friends. Other children don’t understand their behaviors and even higher functioning children, often diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, are not able to form the social relationships needed to sustain friendships, even at the elementary school level. Asperger’s is exceptionally difficult for parents, who watch as the disability interferes in their child’s life, as the children most often know that the other children are making fun of them and/or leaving them behind as they form their social groups.

For helping children with autism some services in countries like USA are providing programs for children with autism trained service dogs.

The University of Guelph initiated a research project in the fall of 2003 to Evaluate the Benefits of Service Dogs for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

These dogs help the children with autism in the following ways:

Safety:

The primary function of a service dog for Autism is safety! There is a small window of opportunity when the dogs can physically stop a child from bolting into the street or away from the parents in public. The physical ability of the dog to restrain a child must be taken into consideration when the dogs are placed into homes to work. The dog should be physically able to slow a child down when running. These selectively bred dogs are trained to slow small children at curbs and intersections to prevent them from bolting into traffic when accompanied by an adult that gives the dog verbal commands. For many parents, the use of a Service dog allows them for the first time to walk behind their child without hanging on to a sleeve or hood of a jacket. The children are attached to the dogs via a leash and belt system. The dog responds to commands by the parents to proceed forward in a straight line, turn left or right and to stop. If the child approaches a curb or tries to walk off the sidewalk, the parent can tell the dog to stop and stay. The dog will use all of its power to brace its footing to slow the child down and stop, which gives the parent walking behind the child time to intervene.

Helping with overcoming sensory overload:

Many families of children with autism have told that they feel trapped in their own homes because they cannot go out in public with their Autistic child. With Autism, children get over-stimulated by different sounds, sights and smells. They are easily overwhelmed. In many cases the child’s service dog has a calming effect on the child and can take the edge off the child’s highs and lows.

Calming effect and self control:

Some families have reported changes in their Autistic child's behaviour. Some children have fewer instances of aggression, while others are calmed by their dogs. The children are taught that they are responsible for the care of their new dog and that they are attached because the dog needs him/her near by it all times. For most children, this is better than an adult always hanging on to them.

Support self-control – Many children find that the dog with whom they have a good relationship has a calming influence on them. This can be particularly useful in crowds and other stressful situations. Children will often reach out to their Service Dog for support in stressful situations. Some parents of children with Assistance Dogs report their child has showed greater sensitivity towards the needs and feelings of the dog, together with a lack of anger and aggression. In spite of a strong dislike by many children with Autism to being touched and/or hugged there appears to be an evident enjoyment of tactile stimulation and comfort level with the dog..

Social Bonding:

Support increased social bonding – The child will be present with the dog many of his waking hours. Properly encouraged, the child will bond with and take comfort from the dog. This model for social bonding is often transferred to bonding with other people. The child and dog will develop a special bond, essentially as friends. The development of the bond must be supported, primarily by encouraging the dog to spend time with the child, particularly during relaxation times in the home. Having the child feed and groom the dog daily can help build a strong bond between the two. Making sure other family members do not engage the dog in play or fun interactions will also help the dog and child form a closer bond. Parents who have used trained service dogs have report that their child has formed or is forming, what appears to be a close relationship with their dog partners. The children are able to relate to their dogs in ways that they were unable to with humans. One research indicates that the child with Autism displays behaviors toward their dog that they rarely, if ever, display towards human companions. In addition, the child that is partnered with a dog is found to seek their dog out for companionship, comfort, and confiding in ways never shown to family members. One of the children that has a Autism Assistance dog, is a three year old child who has the ability to communicate verbally but rarely, if ever, chooses to use it until a wonder-dog named Harley entered her life. Within a week she could be found giving her new doggie partner commands to sit, down, stay, and come. In addition, she would spend hours laying on top the cuddly hound type dog, whispering secrets in his ear. We would all like to know the secrets of a three year old child with Autism, but Harley is a true to the end, “best friend” who will never share the secrets she has entrusted him with!

Communication:

So, the child with Autism is taken and all the difficulties they have with verbalization, communication, and social relationships and paired with a well trained quality service dog specifically trained to meet their unique needs; to create a consistency in the child’s life as their dogs go every where that they go, even within places of public accommodation, and the educational system bringing along with them: consistency, stability, and calm While Noah's family reassurance that the feelings of anxiety or fear are not once had to hold onto needed because the trusted buddy is by their side. As him whenever daring to they meet their dog partners and develop the bond that do some shopping. we have been speaking of; an unconditional, Noah now walks unconventional, and a miraculous loving friendship is calmly beside his developed and with each day passing, grows stronger, service dog Murphy, bringing along with it, a chance that the child may holding to a second transfer their new social relationship to the humans in leash and entertains their environment as well. himself playing with Murphy's ear. Help with controlling self stimulatory repetitive behaviour:

There are also several additional skills that use of trained dogs have developed to assist the child with everyday comforting, and behavioral management. When the child engages in repetitive behaviors and when a simple hand placement on the child is all that is needed to have the behavior cease, at least for a few minutes but often even for hours, a service dog trained specifically to respond to a child’s most repetitive behaviors is just what they needed. Sophie, is shown The behavior the child engages is used in to trigger a here tethered to her behavior in the dog. So for example, the behaviors of a Autism Assistance child that jumps and flaps their hands in front of their face Dog, Bob at a local has been used as a hand signal for the dog to lay their mall! nose or foot on the child, gently nudging them to stop the repetitive behavior, even if for a few minutes. For adults, the continuous nudges or hand placement they engage in to stop their child’s unique, repetitious behaviors can become burdensome and/or frustrating.

However, for the dog, it’s a game and as long as they receive an occasional reward at various intervals, while they are nudging the child over-and-over again, the dog finds the situation quite fun; a job that allows them to do what they do best…encourage the child to cease repetitious behaviors and in nudging the child there comes a possibility that the child may decide petting the dog, playing ball with them, or simply cuddling with them to be more impacting on their life than the need to engage in repetitive behaviors.

Focus and attention:

In some people’s experience with service dogs attending school with children, many Education Assistants have told that the child has been more focused on his/her school work and is able to sit at the desk for longer periods of time.

In short the benefits resulting from the relationship can be summarized as:

* Increased safety levels for children with autism

* Calmer children, giving them an increased attention span and greater aptitude for learning

* Improvement in the child’s behavioural and socialisation skills as the dog acts as a contact companion and ambassador for the child * Reduced stress and reliance on medications for family members

* Freedom for the child and family members to leave the house and to access public areas such as shops, restaurants, hotels and schools

* An increase in the child’s independence

* An Assistance Dog teaches the child responsibility

* The Assistance Dog comforts the child when they are upset

* A unique bond and special relationship can develop between a child with autism and their Assistance Dog

* An Assistance Dog can enrich the quality of life of children with autism and their families

Children who are afraid of dogs have difficulty forming the bond with the dog that is necessary to develop a good working partnership. Children who are afraid of dogs do not make good candidates for a service dog.

Before applying for a service dog it is important to introduce child to a dog that you know to be quiet, gentle and calm. Give child several opportunities to meet and interact with the dog. If no improvement is seen and child remains frightened, a service dog is not a suitable fit for your family.

However,such services from where a trained dog can be obtained are not available in Pakistan and even in countries where its available it costs anywhere between $10,000 to $ 20,000.

I hope this would answer your concerns.Following is a success story for you to go through.

Regards,

Saira Salman.

A Bridge to his world: Dog helps Rochester boy with autism to connect

By NATE PARDUE

Democrat Staff Writer ROCHESTER — Griffin and Luna are inseparable.

When Griffin wanders off, Luna always manages to find him. And when the 7- year-old Rochester boy retreats into his own private world of autism, his constant canine companion somehow manages to break through the wall.

Griffin’s mother, Maureen Crowell, considers the bond between boy and dog to be a mini-miracle. The positive result has spurred her to create a first-of-its-kind organization dedicated to training dogs to care for autistic children.

Autism hit the Crowell family about four years ago, when then-three-year-old Griffin was diagnosed with the disorder.

Autistic children are characterized by traits such as noticeable physical overactivity or underactivity, little or no eye contact, and repetition of words and phrases in place of normal, responsive language.

The diagnosis was difficult for the family, especially Griffin’s mother. Feelings of helplessness and confusion dominated most days.

But the Crowells are helpless no more.

Last year, Crowell contacted a team of friends and well-respected acquaintances, who pooled their efforts to form the LockBox Foundation.

In time, the group established itself as a non-profit organization and developed a three-part mission.

The goal, said Crowell, is to develop the first autism dog training facility in the United States, as well as to provide funding and access to animal-based therapies and learning programs for children with autism.

The third approach is to fund alternative and complementary therapies for families and children with autism.

Although there are a number of alternative therapies, such as herbs and special diets to ease the burden of autism, many of them are too expensive for most families.

"I thought, there’s got to be something out there, some kind of funding for these families that want to try these kinds of therapies, and simply can’t afford it. It doesn’t take long before you’re in significant financial distress," Crowell said.

Families affected by autism would decide which treatment options they would like to pursue and apply to LockBox for funding. The group would then refer them to an outside organization that provides a list of these various therapies and services.

The organization is in the process of finding land for a possible building site and has been in contact with a number of agencies about possible corporate sponsorship.

Crowell said the training idea is to bring in experts who specialize in teaching dogs how to recognize certain behaviors, such as those found in autistic children.

The idea came out of the Crowell’s own personal experience.

Four years ago, the family was on vacation in Moosehead Lake in Maine and stopped to visit a farm that was home to a batch of newborn puppies.

After leaving the farm that day, something about the puppies stuck with Crowell, who insisted she and her husband, Kevin, go back to the farm the next day.

"I couldn’t sleep and I kept thinking about these puppies," Crowell said. "I kept thinking, one of these dogs is for us, I know it’s for us, and she’s going to come over to me when we get there, and it’s going to be a girl, and we’re going to name it Luna.’"

As was bound to happen, Crowell’s vision came true. The couple returned to the farm the next day, a female dog wandered over to Crowell, they scooped her up, and brought her back to the camp where they were staying.

Three-year-old Griffin took to the dog immediately.

"They just had an amazing bond right away. He came over, looked up at me and said, ‘Mama, Griffin love puppy.’ He had never strung three words together," Crowell said.

After a year, the Crowells contacted the National Education for Assistance Dogs in Princeton, Mass., to see if Luna could be trained for Griffin.

The problem was, the dog trainer didn’t think either Griffin or Luna would be able to handle a long-term separation from each other.

Instead, Crowell traveled to Massachusetts every week to learn how to train Luna. Unfortunately, a lack of time and three other kids at home made it impossible to keep up the routine.

But, seeing how Griffin responded to Luna planted the seed for what would eventually grow into the establishment of LockBox. "That inspired me, watching that bond with Griffin," Crowell said.

Now, Luna and Griffin are always together.

On three occasions, Griffin has wandered away from home. The most recent of those times, Luna was able to track him down.

Other times, Luna just seems to have a connection with Griffin, even "when he’s in his own world," Crowell said.

"They (dogs) somehow figure how to get into this world when people can’t," Crowell said.

The next goal is to raise $700,000 this year and hopefully break ground on a new facility within the next 18 months.

Until then, Crowell and the other LockBox representatives are pulling together plans to spread the word through fund-raisers and education.

"I want this message to inspire," said Crowell. "There is no daycare for autism."

For more information, call Crowell at the LockBox Foundation at 608-6118 or visit the web at www.lockboxfoundation.com.