Paws for Maxwell
Donation protected
Hello everyone, I am in need of a little help, (as most of you probably know) Maxwell, my 3 year old, is autistic. It has been a long journey and we have a long journey to go. Maxwell is nonverbal, prone to seizure activity as it may be a precursor to epilepsy, is sensory overwhelmed the majority of the time and does not recognize danger. He has no fear of water, fire or any potentially deadly hazards. And to top off he has been known to elope. He has escaped the home, ran into busy roads, ran from the classroom and school bus, and disappeared in stores. He does not recognize his own name when being called. I have put locks on all outside doors which he became smart to..he either climbs when no one is watching (in middle of night or before we wake up), and just recently figured out he can pull from my grip when going to the car for school or anywhere else. It has been very difficult and scary. I recently bought him a GPS bracelet
bracelet to locate his whereabouts in case of elopement. But a bracelet will not keep him from jumping into a canal or in front of a vehicle. I have done much research on service dogs for autism. It seems like the perfect solution to keeping my boy safe. It is jus a fortune. We are looking at up to $ 15000. I will be fundraising for him in the near future I just wanted to get word out. We can't afford it but feel it is the only option at this point, if anyone knows of any further resources please let me know. We arent looking for a hand out, just a little extra help, we are a family of 5 and finances are stretched. We are going through Canines 4 hope if you would like to know alittle more they have a great site.Thank you in advance any help is greatly appreciated.
Below is some info on service dogs that specialize in assisting children with autism and what they are trained to do:
"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
Autism Service DogBenefits 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.
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." -Paws 4 hope
http://www.canines4hope.com/autism-assistance-dogs-trainer-autism-service-dogs-florida.htm
bracelet to locate his whereabouts in case of elopement. But a bracelet will not keep him from jumping into a canal or in front of a vehicle. I have done much research on service dogs for autism. It seems like the perfect solution to keeping my boy safe. It is jus a fortune. We are looking at up to $ 15000. I will be fundraising for him in the near future I just wanted to get word out. We can't afford it but feel it is the only option at this point, if anyone knows of any further resources please let me know. We arent looking for a hand out, just a little extra help, we are a family of 5 and finances are stretched. We are going through Canines 4 hope if you would like to know alittle more they have a great site.Thank you in advance any help is greatly appreciated.
Below is some info on service dogs that specialize in assisting children with autism and what they are trained to do:
"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
Autism Service DogBenefits 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.
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." -Paws 4 hope
http://www.canines4hope.com/autism-assistance-dogs-trainer-autism-service-dogs-florida.htm
Organizer
Victoria Cushion
Organizer
Cape Coral, FL
