What is Autism?
Condition disturbing perceptions and relationships: a disturbance in psychological development in which use of language, reaction to stimuli and interpretation of the world, and the formation of relationships are not fully established and follow unusual patterns.

Autism Service Dogs
Dogs have been proven to be an asset for children diagnosed with autism and their family. Autism Service Dogs provide a social "bridge" for children who are often secluded by others because of their behavior or lack of social interaction. A well-trained Autism Service Dog can also provide comfort as well as calm children who suffer.

An Autism Assistance Dog or Autism Service Dog can change the lives of a family with a child that has been diagnosed with autism or autistic symptoms. The diagnosis of Autism can turn a family's life and normal schedules upside down but with the help of a trained a Autism Service Dog, some of the intense pressures can be relieved.

Autism Service Dog Training
The following tasks represent what an Autism Service Dog is capable of performing. Each autism service dog is specifically trained to their owners personal needs based on their medical condition and may or may not include the following tasked described. Trained dogs to respond to the following Autistic symptoms:

• Impulsive Running - dog will help retrieve and get child back to parent
• Self Harming Behavior - dog will interrupt behavior and alert parent
• Awakening at Night - dog will bark to alert parents
• Interpret Mood Swings - dog will crawl into child's lap to calm child
• Interrupt Social Isolation - child tends to focus on dog companionship
• Non-Verbal Child - child learns to give dog commands
• PICA - dog will stop child from eating inappropriate items
• Self Stimulation - dog can interrupt behavior

Benefits of Having an Autism Assistance Dog
There are countless benefits of owning an assistance dog for children and families affected by autism. Autism Service Dogs are faithful companions that assist these children and families with activities of daily living as well as increasing the safety of the child and reducing the stress level of their family. Other advantages of having an autism assistance dog are:

• Increased social interaction - assistance dogs have proven to improve social skills and social interaction with children affected by autism. These dogs are naturally interesting which often draws the attention of the autistic child as well as others.
• Redirecting repetitive behaviors - dogs can be taught to nudge a child that is performing repetitive behaviors, this touch is often all that is required to redirect the child from these behaviors.
• Improved independence - assistance dogs can provide independence by allowing the child to walk with the dog as opposed to constantly holding the hand of a parent or adult. These highly skilled dogs can assist the child while under the direction of the adult.
• Increased vocabulary - children with autism are often noticed to have an increase in vocabulary after being paired with an assistance dog. The children seem to be more comfortable in speaking with the dog which transfers more verbal interaction with people.
• Improved quality of sleep - assistance dogs provide a certain level of comfort that can often improve a a child's ability to sleep more throughout the night.
• Overall calming ability - when performing everyday tasks, children feel less pressure working with a dog as opposed to their peers. The tactile experience of having a dog as a companion has also proven to provide calming effects. Autistic children who work with dogs have been documented to feel less anger and experience less act of aggression compared to the time before receiving an assistance dog.
• Recovering children quickly - these assistance dogs are taught to track the child in the event that they bolt or become missing. These dogs are capable of locating the child in a variety of environments and terrain. This ability to locate the child quickly, greatly reduces the risk of serious harm.

Canines 4 Hope trains Autism Service Dogs to assist the person with autism and help them gain the independence and the confidence to perform daily activities similar to most people. An Autism Service Dog trained by Canines 4 Hope will help a person or child living with Autism prioritize incoming information and assist in handling normal situations in a proper manner.

Canines 4 Hope personalized training of an Autism Assistance Dog will help enrich the lives of the family and provide a child with autism the companionship, protection and independence they deserve.

If you or someone you love has autism, give us a call at 1-855-885-6262 or Contact Us by Email. We will be glad to answer any questions about Autism Service Dogs and how we can customize a dog training program to suit your needs.

"Serving the Disabled One Paw At A Time"

Canines 4 Hope in the news!

From WPTV

Palm City service dog to assist South Carolina 4 year old on the Autism spectrum

PALM CITY, Fla. - Sunday's Autism Speaks Walk is set to bring thousands to the Meyer Amphitheater - all of them fighting for one common goal - finding a cure.

On the eve that event, one family from South Carolina traveled all the way to the Treasure Coast - hoping to make a special connection for their very special son.

Everyone knows there's nothing like the bond between a boy and his dog.

But for 4-year-old Tyler and his new dog 'Cookie', this bond may be stronger than most.

"We just can't wait to see what the future holds, and wait to see how they just complete each other," Tyler's mother Kimberly McFadden says.

Cookie may very well be the missing piece for Tyler, who is on the Autism spectrum.

"He's all over the place when we go out," McFadden says. "He just takes off...and he's almost been hit by a car several times."

The family, living in Charleston, heard about 'Canines for Hope' in Palm City

"We're an organization that trains service animals for people with disabilities," says owner of Canines for Hope. "In Tyler's case, it'll be hard not to get attached to Cookie, because he'll literally be attached to Cookie. "Cookie will be trained to anchor him so if he has that desire and instinct to pull or run off or dart off, he'll be toting around a 75 pound dog at his side."

Before that connection takes place, there was another connection necessary to the success of this union - and the two passed with flying colors when they met for the first time on Saturday.

"I was really shocked to see how quickly he warmed up to Cookie," McFadden says.

"He's a little bit on the unique side, where he gravitated to the dog so quickly," Canines 4 Hope service dog trainer added. With more training ahead for Cookie, It'll be a few more months before the two are united for good.

See the whole WPTV article and video here: http://www.wptv.com/news/region-martin-county/palm-city/palm-city-service-dog-to-assist-south-carolina-4-year-old-on-the-autism-spectrum

Miguel's Story - Autism Service Dog

My five year old son Miguel is the most precious gift in my life. He was recently diagnosed with Autism. My husband and I were very concerned and overwhelmed when we heard the news.

Miguel has a limited vocabulary and rarely speaks. He suffers from mood swings and has violent tantrums several times a day. Miguel receives occupational and speech therapy several times a week. As a parent there is nothing that I wouldn't do to help my son. After countless hours of research on the internet for ways to cope, and to improve my sons quality of life, we were blessed with a gift from God. An autism service dog.

Lucy is a one and a half year old Golden Retriever who is being trained to work with our son Miguel. Lucy is Miguel's new best friend and the two of them are inseparable. In the short period of time since Lucy's arrival, we have seen a significant improvement in Miguel's behavior and speech development. He is a much happier little boy. His outbursts have diminished greatly, and his recovery time has improved.

Lucy offers Miguel unconditional love and companionship. Miguel's speech therapist and Occupational Therapist are now integrating Lucy into their sessions. For example, the speech therapist uses Lucy to help Miguel learn Lucy's body parts. His increased vocabulary has greatly improved his social skills and his ability to communicate with family and friends.

If you have a special needs child and want to do something to improve their quality of life we definitely recommend the addition of a service dog into you life.