Therapy dogs are bridge to the world for autistic children

[Cassiepeia]

http://www.newsday.com/
By KATIE WARCHUT | The Day


GROTON, Conn. - When her son Kyle was born, Sharlene Tupas noticed he wouldn't study her face, the way most babies do.

Instead, he would almost look through her, or around her. As he got older he babbled, but at his two-year checkup, he still wasn't talking.

She thought boys simply start talking later, but the doctor told her and her husband, Randy, not necessarily.

By the time she was pregnant with a second child, Kyle was diagnosed as autistic. His brother Austin would follow the same path.

After seven years of struggling with the boys' development _ and several years of splitting up the family so the children could live where the best treatment was available _ the Groton family is putting faith in a dog named Maggie.

Maggie, a mix of a Labrador retriever and poodle called a labradoodle, is being trained as a nontraditional type of service dog. Kyle, 7, has trouble speaking clearly.

He is on par academically and loves to play, but other children can be hesitant to play with him. Austin, 6, makes one-word requests, like "eat" or "drink" and mostly lives in his own little world, his mother said.

Unlike an assistance dog for the blind, dogs trained to work with autistic children serve as a bridge between the children and the world around them, said Patty Dobbs of the Storrs-based North Star Foundation.

The dog gives a child with autism and a person approaching them something to begin talking about and a chance to develop a relationship.

Children with autism have difficulty with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and show repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests. People tend to view misbehavior, unusual movements or vocalization uncomfortably, Dobbs said.

"Children pick up on this quite readily," Dobbs said. "In the larger community, it's very hard to receive the same kind of attention and respect as typically developing children."

But the dog is meant to signal to the community that the child has a disability and to give people a way to respond.

"That automatically changes the context," she said. "It reassures and calms people."

Dogs trained to work with autistic children wear a vest that says, "Please ask to pet me." "This is gold for the child with autism," Dobbs said. "There's no way they can develop that (social interaction) unless people give them a chance."

Dobbs usually trains Labs, but a breeder from Landmark Labradoodles in Windsor had offered one of her Australian labradoodle puppies to the foundation.

Labradoodles don't shed, which was a requirement for Austin's allergies. "It was meant to be," Sharlene said.

Maggie, who just turned 1 year old on Friday, is a controlled ball of energy, said her trainer, Linda Caplan of My Dog's Place in Mystic.

Though she's going through her hormonal teenage years, she is sweet, obedient and even-tempered, which is key to her role. She has the curly fur of a poodle, dark gray on her torso but silver on her legs and face. She was raised by a family for about six months, and then went to a finishing trainer for another month before she came to the Tupases.

Maggie endures Kyle throwing his arms around her and grabbing her, and sits quietly as Austin gently pets her. For children who have trouble speaking or making eye contact with people, dogs can be the easiest playmates, Dobbs said.

"Dogs don't place these same pressures on them," she said. "It's a relief for (the children) to able to communicate."

Maggie's training is like that of any dog, but with special rewards if she sits quietly by the boys' desks at home while they do schoolwork.

Kyle attends Charles Barnum Elementary School and Austin goes to S.B. Butler. Sharlene helps the boys hand-feed her, so that Maggie learns to respect them. Sharlene hopes Maggie would be able to accompany them to school one day.

Groton Superintendent of Schools James E. Mitchell said the district would be open to the idea, though it would depend on the circumstances in the classroom.

The new member of the family still has a ways to go. She must take an advanced obedience class, pass a Canine Good Citizenship test and receive public access certification.

The Tupases have already taken Maggie to Toys R Us and the Groton Public Library, where she was well-received and well-behaved, Sharlene said. Some organizations charge as much as $15,000, but North Star asks families to come up with half the cost of the $5,000 it costs to raise the dog.

Families sometimes decide to hold fundraisers. Not all families of autistic children are suited for an assistance dog, Dobbs said. For more information contact www.northstardogs.com.

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[dogs4life]

That is an amazing story. I had no idea service dogs were being trained to assist autistic children...that is amazing. Dogs are great ice breakers, I'm so happy for those little boys now having interactions with kids their own age.

We have lots of autistic children in our county and last estimate I heard was 1:133 kids are autistic. If that is true, there tons of kids that need child friendly dogs to share their life with whether it's a service dog or companion.

All the neighbor kids love our dogs. Some come over just to spend time with them, not us When ever we go for a walk with the dogs, we always have company, they just join us It's very cute and very social for our dogs and daughter. One girl actually told us we need a vacation because she wanted to dog sit...how sweet.

[calgal]

Each dog has their own role here on earth to take care of people. It's so wonderful to see people are doing more to help them get into the roll they are meant to be. These kids will be so much better off and some will even come out of their own little world.

[SamInPA]

My sister works with Autistic children. I'm going to send her this article

[GSD]

Temple Grandin has a great book talking about animals in general, but a good part about dogs as well, and relating it to Autism. She is an animal behaviorist herself and autistic. I'm sure you've heard of "Animals in Translation", and i highly recomend you read it.

[Swiftwind]

I think that article is so true. One of my uncles is autistic, and he absolutely adores Harley. He's only seen him about two or three times before, but he always talks about Harley, and he even did a painting of him once. It's just magical to see an autistic person light up around a dog, when they so obviously find it hard to communicate and interact with people.

[DogLover8]

I know someone who is mildly autistic. I know dogs can help some people who are autistic. Interesting article.

[dogs4life]

Originally Posted by Swiftwind

I think that article is so true. One of my uncles is autistic, and he absolutely adores Harley. He's only seen him about two or three times before, but he always talks about Harley, and he even did a painting of him once. It's just magical to see an autistic person light up around a dog, when they so obviously find it hard to communicate and interact with people.

Does you uncle have a dog? Wow he pained Harley, that's very special, I'm sure you were touched.

I know what you mean about autistic people lighting up when in the presence of a dog. One of my daughters playmates was recently diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and he has a close relationship with his dogs and loves to interact with my dogs. He just ignores everyone except Samantha, his mother, dogs and my cat. Now that I'm thinking about it, he actually likes cats more than dogs. He is 3 and I finally got a "Hi" from him a month ago...it was touching.

[Sweetpea]

Every year I try to get out with Emma to attend the Easter Egg Hunt For the National Service Dogs. National Service Dogs is a non-profit Registered Charity specializing in breeding, training and placing Labrador and Golden Retrievers with children who have autism. I've been working with children and adults with Autism for over 20 years. I have 2 friends who are looking into getting a dog from National Service Dogs. Here is the web site for National Service Dogs if anyone would like to check it out. http://www.nsd.on.ca/autism.htm

[Swiftwind]

Originally Posted by dogs4life

Does you uncle have a dog? Wow he pained Harley, that's very special, I'm sure you were touched.

No, he doesn't have a dog (or any pets). I haven't seen the painting myself, but it's still a really lovely thought that he would do a painting of Harley. Apparently it really looks like him!