Dec 29, 2007 10:55 am US/Central
Service Dogs Give Autistic Kids More Confidence
(WCCO)
Most
parents can attest to the challenges of trying to go Christmas shopping with
toddlers in tow.
Well
imagine if one of your toddlers was autistic.
A new
program is giving parents of autistic children new freedom and their children
new confidence.
Jennifer
Schuler isn't as leery of trips to the mall any more. She now has a little
help looking after her 5-year-old, Sam.
Sam has
autism and a place like the Eden Prairie Mall provides so much stimulation, it
can be overwhelming -- for him and his mother. However, now they
both have Reno, an autism assistance dog
provided by hearing and service dogs of Minnesota.
"So Reno knows by laying
down he can stop Sam from moving -- a lot better," said Schuler.
Sam is the
first kid to get a dog like Reno from the
program, which is modeled after a similar one that's proven very successful in Canada.
Sam is told
it's his job to watch Reno. He
never seems to let go, but just in case, he is tethered to his new
pal.
Sam can
wiggle, squirm or dart away from Mom and Dad, but not from Reno.
"And
now I can take him to the mall by myself and hang on to the leash. And I can still do
what I need to do shopping ... without having to hang on to him constantly or worry about him
getting away," said Schuler.
A simple
stay command and Reno
hit's the floor. Sam can't dash away into a crowd, or even worse, into
traffic. Temper tantrums don't last long either.
Reno isn't just for outings, he lives
with Sam's family.
"Reno will stay in bed with
Sam, until Sam is sleeping, and then Reno will come outside the door and sleep outside the door for the rest of
the night," Schuler smiles as she comments.
It's led to
a lot less anxiety on everyone's part. Mom said Sam is just so relaxed with Reno. And trips to
the mall are no longer as stressful for her.
"It is
just the safety. I just feel so mush at ease with the two of them," she said.
For more
information on the program, click here.
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