Autism Service Dogs
Trained Service Dogs for People with Autism

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.

• 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.