What Autism Service Dogs Do

Do you have autism? Are you looking for an autism service dog for sale to help you or someone that you know? The good news is that there is much support in this area nowadays and much like the dogs who help those requiring assistance for being visually impaired or deaf, there is a lot that autism service dogs can do.

These specially-trained dogs will provide support when their owners are dealing with situations and circumstances that they find themselves struggling to deal with due to their condition. 

Service dogs of this nature often work with children who are on the autistic spectrum and will help them, as well as older owners, to improve things such as: 

•     Independence
•     Confidence
•     Owner’s safety
•     Skill development 

There are many breeds of dog that can have been proven to be brilliant autism service dogs, and the most common breeds are Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Poodles. This is because they all carry the main traits that make for a good service dog for autistic owners, including gentle disposition, large size, intelligence and being people-orientated. 

Now that we’ve had a small glimpse at what these special pups can offer, below is some more information highlighting a handful of the most important ways that autism service dogs help their owners.

Autism Service Dogs Can Be A Vital Calming Influence

Autism dogs are on hand to give their human companion with a focal point when they become overwhelmed with a situation’s sensory output. 

Being a calming influence is important and often ties in with the other benefits we will mention below. What’s more, many children who are on the autism spectrum are soothed by light pressure being applied to their body when they’re overstimulated. It’s in these times that the dog will lie down on or press on the child.

As with almost any canine, these dog’s provide absolute unconditional love paired with limitless companionship and endless patience. These four-legged friends are a superb source of comfort too, which is wonderful for creating a calming effect on people they have been trained to help.

Autism Service Dogs Can Improve Social Skills and Develop the Ability to Communicate

These professionally-trained pooches are there to give people with autism the ability to be introduced into various public and social settings. 

They can help to make it safer and much easier which ties in nicely with their companion’s personal development that can help to lead on to regular daily engagement. Furthermore, when their owner has the capability and self-confidence to give the dog commands and achieve the response they want it’s often an excellent source of motivation for developing verbal communication.

Autism Service Dogs Will Assist with Sensory Processing Issues

Sensory processing is a common issue for those who live with autism. Because of this, there is a section of the dog’s training that is closely in-line with the training that impaired vision or hearing service dogs are trained to help out with. 

These dogs will know when to alert their owner to vital sounds and/or other environmental essentials that require the most significant attention that can otherwise be missed by their partner as a result of over-stimulation.

If there is an abundance of stimulation at any given time, the dogs have the knowhow to lead their owner away; this assists in avoiding potential agitation brought about by these surroundings.

Autism Service Dogs Will Alert and Interrupt Stimming

Stimming is the official term related to repetitive movements, physical motions, sounds, and/or other actions carried out for self-stimulation.

While the majority of the stimming autistic people do is harmless, some can cause disruption, become violent, and in more serious cases dangerous to their welfare; for example, repetitively hitting their head against a door or wall. 

An autism service dogs will be able to make it known to their partner that they are stimming in order to help them realise that they need to interrupt this behaviour.

Autism Service Dogs Increase Their Owner’s Personal Safety

The autistic spectrum means that for those living with the disorder, it can be hard to act with the right level of personal safety awareness. This can cause children to step into a road or walk off unannounced, for example. 

Their service dog is highly-trained to closely observe for any such risk, and can also track their partners with their incredible sense of smell in the event that they go missing. In addition, these dogs can signal to an autistic child’s parents if their child wakes in the night, is leaving somewhere or doing something dangerous. 

These are some of the remarkable was that an autism service dog can help make the world a better and more enjoyable place for autistic people!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Baron is the most-trusted trainer for Autism Service Dogs For Sale.  He has two college degrees and is generally considered a top expert for training Autism Service Dogs and has been in business training dogs since 1998.  He lives with his wife in Roseville, California and currently only trains service dogs for sale.