Aiden's Good Dog! Adventure

Aiden is an amazingly kind-hearted and funny 9 year old boy. He loves all things Lego, Marvel and DC (just don’t mix the two!), Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and Star Wars. He is an avid reader, history buff, and science lover.


Aiden was 6 years old when we started seeking out a diagnosis. After 2 long years of continually advocating for him, doctor’s appointments, insurance issues, waitlists, and more doctor’s appointments, he was diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and anxiety in December 2016. Luckily during that two year waiting period, he has been able to receive speech, occupational, and physical therapy, and now we have added ABA to his schedule as well. His days are pretty dang busy for a kid his age, but therapy has made a world of difference.


So, why a service dog?


I actually grew up around service dogs, and got to see first hand just how much they impact a person’s life in a positive way. As we got closer to an autism diagnosis with Aiden, I knew that with his affinity towards animals and his need for certain sensory inputs, an autism service dog could be an amazing gift for him. Aiden is a very social kid. He loves everyone around him! He tries so incredibly hard to make friends, but he has a very difficult time creating meaningful connections with people - particularly children his own age. An autism service dog will not only help minimize the sensory issues and subsequent meltdowns before they start, but he/she will also give Aiden a relatable topic to talk about with everyone he meets while also spreading autism awareness and boosting his own self-confidence.


Good Dog! Autism Companions is a non-profit organization and is funded 100% on charitable donations, but training a service dog is no easy feat. It takes time and money to produce such an amazing friend and partner for Aiden. Good Dog! has graciously committed to sponsoring half of the cost of the service dog’s training ($13,500), and we are committed to raising the other $13,000.


To help Aiden in this next step:

You have helped by visiting our page! Thank you!
You can share this page with your friends, family, and co-workers to help get the word out!
Like and share our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/AidensGoodDog/ 

***If you are interested in helping in our fundraising efforts by way of sponsoring Aiden through a local business or hosting an event, please feel free to contact me. 

Thank you so much for all of your support!!


With love and gratitude,

The Shrader Family (Lauren, Ethan, Lincoln, and Aiden)