Dogs for autism

[Moobli]

Does anyone have any experience with dogs helping autistic children?

 

[Karran]

None personally, but look up Anything is Pawsible on facebook, there is a gorgeous little gold cocker who helps an autistic child and the mother has raised money to fund training for three other dogs to help autistic children

 

[Moobli]

Thank you. I’ll have a look. It’s for a friend’s child.

 

[palo1]

Does anyone have any experience with dogs helping autistic children?

I have worked with someone who had a dog to help with their autism. She was awesome!! Her job was to be on task by staying close to this young man and when either she saw him getting in difficulties or if he identified that, she was on task to nudge him as a prompt. He was then either able to strategise or the dog would provide stronger cues and/or lead him away to a safe space, She worked in some really challenging environments and provided an extraordinary amount of liberty and confidence.

I 'use' my dog very informally with a number of adult autistic students that I work with. He is not trained but is reliably safe and is actually very good at picking up cues for what people need in the limited way that we deploy him. Even informally, the dog is hugely beneficial though of course we have clear boundaries because he is my pet dog and not a trained service dog. As well as that, the dog definitely brings joy and easier connection and communication for some of my students. With the students that have requested dog tutorials, he is 100% appreciated and beneficial. Even when sitting on my spinning office chair lol. PM me if you want to know more about the formal assitant dog that I worked alongside (for 2 years).

 

[ycbm]

There was one on Countryfile as part of a Children in Need special at the weekend, you should be able to catch it on iPlayer.
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[Esmae]

My grandson is severely autistic. I was very sceptical about them getting a dog and talked them out of a pup. However they have a rehome lurcher who is marvellous with grandson, however I don't actually think that grandson gets anything out of him. Not sure this helps you. I think that it would largely depend on the level of autism to be honest.

 

[Supertrooper]

Dogs for good train dogs for this so might be worth looking into them

 

[Moobli]

I have worked with someone who had a dog to help with their autism. She was awesome!! Her job was to be on task by staying close to this young man and when either she saw him getting in difficulties or if he identified that, she was on task to nudge him as a prompt. He was then either able to strategise or the dog would provide stronger cues and/or lead him away to a safe space, She worked in some really challenging environments and provided an extraordinary amount of liberty and confidence.

I 'use' my dog very informally with a number of adult autistic students that I work with. He is not trained but is reliably safe and is actually very good at picking up cues for what people need in the limited way that we deploy him. Even informally, the dog is hugely beneficial though of course we have clear boundaries because he is my pet dog and not a trained service dog. As well as that, the dog definitely brings joy and easier connection and communication for some of my students. With the students that have requested dog tutorials, he is 100% appreciated and beneficial. Even when sitting on my spinning office chair lol. PM me if you want to know more about the formal assitant dog that I worked alongside (for 2 years).

Sounds wonderful. The child involved already adores animals (dogs and horses especially) so I think she’d get a lot out of having her own dog - even a pet dog who didn’t mind lots of physical contact. Could I show my friend your message as I’m sure she’s find it very helpful. Thank you.

 

[Moobli]

There was one on Countryfile as part of a Children in Need special at the weekend, you should be able to catch it on iPlayer.
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I think watching that opened my friend’s eyes to the possibility of a specially trained dog that might help her daughter immensely.

 

[Hackback]

I'd say choose your breed carefully. My Aspergers neice found the constant excited yapping of their rescue dog too stressful and they had to rehome him. They now have a very wriggly and submissive labrador bitch who is a much more suitable companion.

 

[Moobli]

My grandson is severely autistic. I was very sceptical about them getting a dog and talked them out of a pup. However they have a rehome lurcher who is marvellous with grandson, however I don't actually think that grandson gets anything out of him. Not sure this helps you. I think that it would largely depend on the level of autism to be honest.

She is currently in the process of being diagnosed. She adores animals but unfortunately the pet dog they have (a terrier) isn’t keen on her often overbearing attention. I think a laidback breed/type who enjoyed lots of hands on interaction would help her - even without special training.

 

[Moobli]

I'd say choose your breed carefully. My Aspergers neice found the constant excited yapping of their rescue dog too stressful and they had to rehome him. They now have a very wriggly and submissive labrador bitch who is a much more suitable companion.

Most definitely! They have a pet terrier who isn’t keen on the attention she lavishes on it. I suggested she tentatively look at golden retrievers and labs from lines specifically bred for a kind and patient temperament. Also recommended if they did go ahead to look for an older pup or dog whose temperament can be determined.

 

[CorvusCorax]

It's been touched on already but they'd need something pretty resilient/bombproof.

 

[Starzaan]

My nephew is autistic and has PDA, and has a service dog. He’s made a huge difference.

 

[Surbie]

My grandson is severely autistic. I was very sceptical about them getting a dog and talked them out of a pup. However they have a rehome lurcher who is marvellous with grandson, however I don't actually think that grandson gets anything out of him. Not sure this helps you. I think that it would largely depend on the level of autism to be honest.

This is my experience too - my godson was happy around the dog and liked her, but not particularly attached or interested after the first couple of months.

 

[ester]

breed/type will also depend on what you want it to do task wise, I know people that use them for interrupting self harming behaviours and also to provide weight/pressure- and you obviously need a bigger one if that is on the list of possibilities.
I think generally you need a very good breeder who know's their pups well wrt what would cope and what wouldn't, an autistic meltdown can be 'a lot' and even if you're not asking them to be around for that for a reason they chances are they would be at some point.

 

[Moobli]

Thanks for all the replies. I’m going to pass on all the thoughts and advice and I’m sure she’ll find them useful.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I work at a "land based curriculum" college with SEND/EHCP learners and our students do "Dog Care" among other things for their curriculum.

They have done very well with the dogs and the dogs have taken to them well. However all I would say that not every dog is going to be happy with it and care needs to be taken with initial introductions, and a supervisory eye kept on the situation certainly in the first few sessions. It just happens that the chemistry is either OK or deffo not OK, and for everyone's safety a watchful eye might need to be kept on any of the dogs exhibiting warning signs that they may not be comfortable.

Our students also do Animal Care, Equine, and Agriculture down on the college's home farm. They are supported with all of these activities and are expected to meet the challenges of work-compliant qualifications.

ANY sort of animal-human inter-action is fantastic for young people with autism (or any other disability come to that) and can only be beneficial. Animals don't judge or make assumptions and (like I say) all that is needful is just a quiet watchful eye to make sure things go OK.

 

[cbmcts]

For anybody considering an emotional support animal that is going to living with them, you really should also be considering the welfare of the animal. I feel really rotten saying this and it's not meant to be horrible or exclusionary in any way but we know that dogs in particular are affected by owners emotions and not always positively. It's a lot to ask an animal to cope with.

I feel that a specially trained dog from a charity would be the minimum requirement - temperament tested and resilience trained with a soft landing for the dog if it doesn't work out. In the past couple of years I've seen 3 incidents where dogs have been got as support animals privately and it's not really worked for quite a few reasons.

 

[Moobli]

Totally get that. They are looking at specifically trained dogs ideally and, as you point out, there’s much that could go wrong going any other route. They have always had dogs as a family though and I do think any dog they get would become the family pet too, so would have a home for life even in the event it didn’t fit the “job description” so to speak.

 

[palo1]

Sounds wonderful. The child involved already adores animals (dogs and horses especially) so I think she’d get a lot out of having her own dog - even a pet dog who didn’t mind lots of physical contact. Could I show my friend your message as I’m sure she’s find it very helpful. Thank you.

Sorry - I've just seen this. Of course -please share my message

 

[twiggy2]

Does anyone have any experience with dogs helping autistic children?

I have worked with 3 families choosing and integrating puppies into the house and then further training.
That all seemed from working woth a young lab who spent his days at a centre for autistic kids with his owner, his owner ran the centre. He was not with the kids all the time but spent some time with them on a one to one basis.
ETA all the families tried to get ready trained dogs but the wait was very long and the dogs rare to come by.
All of the dogs were pets rather than therapy or assistance dogs

 

[maya2008]

I've known some dogs react badly to children with autism, and other dogs react incredibly well. Didn't seem to be particularly breed related, just personality. My daughter has always wanted a pug - willing to be carried around, great lapdog giving nice pressure on the lap and a good calming presence. We have a dog, a cat and ponies. The cat helps more than the dog as she's more cuddly, but the ponies win hands down for getting an overloaded, sensory meltdown child back into a regulated, coping and happy state.

 

[P3LH]

My young Pembroke dog comes into work with me regularly - risk assessed up to the eyeballs and insured in equal amounts by work. He works therapeutically with a number of children but of them, a large number are on the spectrum with needs which range vastly from one and other.

I tried it with my Pembroke bitch when she was young after seeing impact in another setting, but she wasn’t suited as every quality I thought would make her so was her downfall. She was overly confident, cocky, bolshy, and actively sought out people. Whereas he is, for want of better wording, not very bright but steady. People are always surprised as he’s not the boldest or most confident dog, whereas she was, and he isn’t the biggest show off or people seeking dog - at times he could be considered aloof, which is why he’s perfect.

He is boring and predictable, and will literally just stand there like a pony to be stroked, watching the world go by. or lie down quietly beside someone - he doesn’t over engage/get in the face of/get too excited by anyone (again - a bit thick) which makes him quiet, unassuming and well suited to coming into work. His impact is well demonstrated - but it isn’t a blanket situation that works for all. I would go as far as saying in some cases some breeds/individuals would be too much for a child or young person with a diagnosis of autism but certainly at times it works out very well.

 

[P3LH]

Professionally speaking - I have known a more consistent success in relationships between children/young people with autism and sedate breeds/types of cats, thinking sensibly in terms of breeds like British shorthair and longhair, rag dolls etc. Companionship, connection and interaction without feeling too overwhelmed/too pestered due to a cats default mechanism of being fairly self reliant. Less noise. Less demands of physical engagement/unwanted breaching of personal space/personal boundaries. Quieter. Etc.