I wrote this story for Community Press in August 2006. Recently I received an email from Sam's mom--the family received a check for $1,000 to go toward the purchase of a therapy dog as a result of the publication of this article. (Names have been changed or not used to protect the privacy of those involved)
This is a story about a boy and his dog. But there's a big twist in the tale—and the tail—8 year-old Sam hasn't met his dog yet. But Sam’s parents, Carol and Tom, are doing all they can to acquaint the two as quickly as possible. You see, Sam is autistic and the dog the family needs won’t be just any mutt. He or she will most likely be a retriever who will come from the 4 Paws for Ability program based in Xenia, Ohio and he or she will help Sam’s life open up and get better in many ways.
“Honestly, we needed the dog a year ago, says Carol. “With Sam growing bigger and stronger every day, it’s getting harder for me to handle him and we want to stop some of his negative behaviors before they become engrained.”
It has been a rough eight years for Carol and Tom and their other two children, eleven year-old Max and six year-old Josey. Every room in their home has a lock. A six-foot high privacy fence with child resistant locks and a padlock on the gate surrounds the yard. Sam is the central focus of the family every minute of every day. Still he has managed to get away. Once he crawled inside a futon cover and went to sleep. Another time, he hid in a cabinet. It’s not that he wants to run away from the family—he just doesn’t realize that when they don’t know his whereabouts, he is lost in the world.
“Right now, it’s difficult for me to write a check or kiss my daughter’s skinned knee or really do anything with my other children because I always have one hand on Sam,” says Carol. "It is in situations like these that having an autism assistance dog would be so valuable."
The dogs at 4 Paws for Ability receive extensive training to track and care for their charges at all times. For example, Carol could tether Sam to his dog to keep him in one place. “That would help immensely in a place like the grocery store or at the park” says Leach. “I’ve seen a demonstration where a grown man took hold of a tether and tried to pull and the dog stayed in place.” Should Sam manage to get away, the dog tracks only his scent so he or she could help the family immediately start looking for their son. “That would bring a great deal of relief not only to me and Tom but to our other kids too,” she says.
Another important asset is the comfort and calm the dog can provide. For example, Sam recently had a meltdown in the middle of the shopping mall and a man stepped right over the child saying unkindly to Carol, "Can’t you take care of your child?” She was embarrassed and extremely upset. "I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been lectured and criticized. People just do not understand,” she says. Had she had an autism assistance dog with her, Carol could have given the dog a command to lay on Sam because deep pressure and holding will calm an autistic child.
Above all, service dogs are loyal, loving, and dedicated to their young owners. “I’m hoping the dog could be a “friend magnet” so that Sam can be around other kids,” Carol says. The family chose 4 Paws for Ability because the organization takes many dogs from area shelters and places them into the program. Their “Rover Rehab” program allows jailed inmates to train the dogs. Both the shelter dog and the prisoners get a second chance to do good.
“What I liked best about 4 Paws was that instead of being on a waiting list for 2 to 5 years, we can help fund-raise for the organization and get our dog quicker,” says Carol.The family applied for their dog in May 2006. They must raise $12,000 to receive the kind of dog Sam needs. Why the high cost? Because an austism assistance dog is a highly trained work animal, not a house pet and the amount needed reflects the cost of the specialized training and is typical for any service animal.
To learn more about 4 Paws for Ability, visit their Web site at http://www.4pawsforability.org.
A Twist in the Tail
“Honestly, we needed the dog a year ago, says Carol. “With Sam growing bigger and stronger every day, it’s getting harder for me to handle him and we want to stop some of his negative behaviors before they become engrained.”
It has been a rough eight years for Carol and Tom and their other two children, eleven year-old Max and six year-old Josey. Every room in their home has a lock. A six-foot high privacy fence with child resistant locks and a padlock on the gate surrounds the yard. Sam is the central focus of the family every minute of every day. Still he has managed to get away. Once he crawled inside a futon cover and went to sleep. Another time, he hid in a cabinet. It’s not that he wants to run away from the family—he just doesn’t realize that when they don’t know his whereabouts, he is lost in the world.
“Right now, it’s difficult for me to write a check or kiss my daughter’s skinned knee or really do anything with my other children because I always have one hand on Sam,” says Carol. "It is in situations like these that having an autism assistance dog would be so valuable."
The dogs at 4 Paws for Ability receive extensive training to track and care for their charges at all times. For example, Carol could tether Sam to his dog to keep him in one place. “That would help immensely in a place like the grocery store or at the park” says Leach. “I’ve seen a demonstration where a grown man took hold of a tether and tried to pull and the dog stayed in place.” Should Sam manage to get away, the dog tracks only his scent so he or she could help the family immediately start looking for their son. “That would bring a great deal of relief not only to me and Tom but to our other kids too,” she says.
Another important asset is the comfort and calm the dog can provide. For example, Sam recently had a meltdown in the middle of the shopping mall and a man stepped right over the child saying unkindly to Carol, "Can’t you take care of your child?” She was embarrassed and extremely upset. "I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been lectured and criticized. People just do not understand,” she says. Had she had an autism assistance dog with her, Carol could have given the dog a command to lay on Sam because deep pressure and holding will calm an autistic child.
Above all, service dogs are loyal, loving, and dedicated to their young owners. “I’m hoping the dog could be a “friend magnet” so that Sam can be around other kids,” Carol says. The family chose 4 Paws for Ability because the organization takes many dogs from area shelters and places them into the program. Their “Rover Rehab” program allows jailed inmates to train the dogs. Both the shelter dog and the prisoners get a second chance to do good.
“What I liked best about 4 Paws was that instead of being on a waiting list for 2 to 5 years, we can help fund-raise for the organization and get our dog quicker,” says Carol.The family applied for their dog in May 2006. They must raise $12,000 to receive the kind of dog Sam needs. Why the high cost? Because an austism assistance dog is a highly trained work animal, not a house pet and the amount needed reflects the cost of the specialized training and is typical for any service animal.
To learn more about 4 Paws for Ability, visit their Web site at http://www.4pawsforability.org.
posted by LSW at 6:56 AM
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