David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Dogs can offer security and friendship to kids with autism
by Angela Mulholland
April 07, 2010
CTV Toronto?s Pauline Chan recently reported on a sweet 10-year-old, named Alex Simons-Wong, who has more struggles than most kids his age. On top of having autism, he?s also been diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
Alex used to lash out with impulsive aggression, biting, kicking and screaming at his mother, then at night, begging her to lie beside him, unable to sleep without her. Sleep-deprived and frustrated, Wong?s mother Leslie Simons knew she needed help.
?I thought, I can't do this. I love my son dearly but there's got to be something out there that can help,? she recently told Chan.
Then one day, Leslie realized Alex never showed aggression to the family cat. In fact, he was downright affectionate with her, stroking its fur for as long as the cat would allow.
?He would cuddle her and talk quietly to her,? Simons recalls. "So I thought, maybe a larger animal could go with him and give him the comfort and safety.?
She looked into whether there were service dogs that could help children with autism and soon found there were.
The first few autism therapy dogs Alex and his family tried didn?t work out. One Black Lab licked him too much and Alex wasn't comfortable with that. Another was too rambunctious for them. And another had a pink nose and Alex thought his dog should have a black nose.
Then they met Ruby.
?It was just, immediate,? Alex?s mother recalls of the meeting, snapping her fingers. ?I was like ?Oh my gosh, this is so amazing?.?
?He was just all over her, touching her and playing with her and laughing. It was just so heart-warming to see,? she recalls.
Within three days of receiving his new dog, Alex was much calmer and sleeping through the night.
Wade Beattie, the founder of Ontario-based Autism Dog Services says only about two-thirds of the puppies they train make it into service with a family and the ones who make it have special personalities.
?A calm-natured dog, even-tempered, willingness to please,? Beattie describes of the ideal autism dog.
Beyond fostering and training the dogs, Autism Dog Services also helps out after a dog is placed with a family, offering one-on-one training with families in their own home as well as weekly group classes at local malls.
Ruby now helps Alex stay safe in traffic and will find him if he wanders away. But she mostly serves as an outlet for all his energy and stress. What Alex loves most about Ruby is her velvety soft ears.
?He fixates on her ears, he's always rubbing her ears,? his mother reports. ?She loves it, and it just brings him right down.?
She also notes that before Ruby, Alex hated crowds and running errands and would soon start screaming to leave.
?Before, I would get kicked and he would make a big to-do. It was very upsetting to me because he looks so normal,? she says. ?I had people say to me, ?He's a big boy; why is he acting that way? And it just tore me apart.?
?And now, the dog wears a vest and it says ?Autism Dog?,? she replies.
When Alex has a meltdown now, he just drops right down and hugs Ruby.
Simons says she grateful that the Lion?s Club was able to help her with the $15,000 cost of an autism dog. And she knows Alex is grateful too.
?He?s such a smart boy, he?s got dreams and ideas and wants to invent things and I?m sure he'll do that someday.?
by Angela Mulholland
April 07, 2010
CTV Toronto?s Pauline Chan recently reported on a sweet 10-year-old, named Alex Simons-Wong, who has more struggles than most kids his age. On top of having autism, he?s also been diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
Alex used to lash out with impulsive aggression, biting, kicking and screaming at his mother, then at night, begging her to lie beside him, unable to sleep without her. Sleep-deprived and frustrated, Wong?s mother Leslie Simons knew she needed help.
?I thought, I can't do this. I love my son dearly but there's got to be something out there that can help,? she recently told Chan.
Then one day, Leslie realized Alex never showed aggression to the family cat. In fact, he was downright affectionate with her, stroking its fur for as long as the cat would allow.
?He would cuddle her and talk quietly to her,? Simons recalls. "So I thought, maybe a larger animal could go with him and give him the comfort and safety.?
She looked into whether there were service dogs that could help children with autism and soon found there were.
The first few autism therapy dogs Alex and his family tried didn?t work out. One Black Lab licked him too much and Alex wasn't comfortable with that. Another was too rambunctious for them. And another had a pink nose and Alex thought his dog should have a black nose.
Then they met Ruby.
?It was just, immediate,? Alex?s mother recalls of the meeting, snapping her fingers. ?I was like ?Oh my gosh, this is so amazing?.?
?He was just all over her, touching her and playing with her and laughing. It was just so heart-warming to see,? she recalls.
Within three days of receiving his new dog, Alex was much calmer and sleeping through the night.
Wade Beattie, the founder of Ontario-based Autism Dog Services says only about two-thirds of the puppies they train make it into service with a family and the ones who make it have special personalities.
?A calm-natured dog, even-tempered, willingness to please,? Beattie describes of the ideal autism dog.
Beyond fostering and training the dogs, Autism Dog Services also helps out after a dog is placed with a family, offering one-on-one training with families in their own home as well as weekly group classes at local malls.
Ruby now helps Alex stay safe in traffic and will find him if he wanders away. But she mostly serves as an outlet for all his energy and stress. What Alex loves most about Ruby is her velvety soft ears.
?He fixates on her ears, he's always rubbing her ears,? his mother reports. ?She loves it, and it just brings him right down.?
She also notes that before Ruby, Alex hated crowds and running errands and would soon start screaming to leave.
?Before, I would get kicked and he would make a big to-do. It was very upsetting to me because he looks so normal,? she says. ?I had people say to me, ?He's a big boy; why is he acting that way? And it just tore me apart.?
?And now, the dog wears a vest and it says ?Autism Dog?,? she replies.
When Alex has a meltdown now, he just drops right down and hugs Ruby.
Simons says she grateful that the Lion?s Club was able to help her with the $15,000 cost of an autism dog. And she knows Alex is grateful too.
?He?s such a smart boy, he?s got dreams and ideas and wants to invent things and I?m sure he'll do that someday.?
