Keller was born on a chilly November day.   It was a good beginning, everything checked out as it should.   He was chubby, cried, 10 fingers- 10 toes, and the hole in his heart had closed.   Keller came home and by 15 months, he wasn't making similar developmental gains that the "timelines" suggested. 




He was happy, smiley, and pretty freaking adorable.   Around 18 months, we decided to pursue therapy.   Keller had a few words, that he later lost.  Even though he was super cuddly and lovable , he lacked a lot of typical emotions that kids have.  He didn't play with toy cars or trains. He could care less about a favorite stuffed animal.  He walked on his toes. He lost his little baby appetite that was so amazing.  We could tell things were changing in a major way. 



We started the gamet of therapies, and were told early intervention was vital.  Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT) and speech therapy (ST).   It was soon a bunch of acronyms that only a secret legion of special needs parents truly understood.



Despite the many therapies, progress happens slowly.   Chase and I began to learn about what was unfolding, words like:  Autism Spectrum Disorder, Apraxia, Motor Planning, Sensory Processing disorder, Non-verbal language disorder, Low muscle tone, and more.   Along with regular medical appointments and therapies, we had quite the busy schedule.   While children his same age began t-ball or dance class, Keller was doing therapy.



He continues to make progress, but it takes time.  One of his biggest struggles is his Apraxia, also known as "Motor Planning" which happens when our brain commands our body to do any movement.   What does this mean?  It means that our baby boy might not ever be graced with language.

Could you image going through your day and not saying a word? Not being able to say "I don't want that" or "I don't like that". You can't say what you want to eat, play, how you feel, what you are thinking. You are at the mercy of everyone around you and you live your day hoping they try to figure out what you want/need and get it right.  We have (over the years) successfully taught him "language" by use of a special speech device where he can press the buttons he needs to communicate. Yes, no, I want, chicken, french fries, drink, etc. are a few of the ones he has mastered. Yay Keller!



Another issue for Keller is aggression and self injurious behaviors. Not being able to speak is so unbelievably frustrating for him.  When he can't get his point across his frustration turns into anger and he will harm himself by hitting his head, pinching himself or worst case, biting. 


Keller also struggles in public places.  With the extra stimulation, his anxiety spikes and he needs to return home or to a quiet place.  As a result, our family has found ways to make home life as fun as possible since family trips to restaurants, stores, etc.. are out of the question right now.



So what all does Keller need help with on a daily basis?
He needs help and assistance in: 

-  Getting dressed

-  Eating

-  Opening doors - he often goes into a room and closes the door. We can't call out his name because he can't respond and he can't get out until we open the door for him. 

-  Walking too far makes him fatigued and sore (he has very low muscle tone)

-   Self-care  like brushing his teeth, restroom assistance, bathing

-  His little mind never rests and therefore he doesn't sleep well


YET,  Keller wears a SMILE every day.  He spreads joy and love to everyone he encounters.   He amazes me!   As his parents, all we want for him is to be happy. 




One thing that we think could help Keller is a SERVICE DOG.  


WHY A SERVICE DOG?

A SERVICE DOG is proven to assist Autistic children and adults in profound ways.  For Keller in particular, it will help him with these areas of his daily life:

-  A social companion: Socializing and making true friends is difficult for a child who is autistic and apraxic.   The dog will become a friend for Keller.  It will also be a catalyst for developing other friendships.

-  A helper with sleep.  Keller will be able to have the dog in his room/bed, so he can sleep through the night. Keller wakes frequently and although we still have a baby monitor in his room, we don't always hear him moving around.  The dog will be there with him to alert us if he needs something. 

-  Exploring the community:  Keller will be able to reduce his anxiety as he goes into the community, thus being able to try new tasks with greater success. His anxiety can - and will - stop him in his tracks and keep him from enjoying so many little things. 

-  Attend doctor and therapy appointments:  The dog can help reduce anxiety, as Keller has been through so many medical situations and therapies, that he now dreads appointments.

-   Wandering:  Our worries about Keller getting lost when we are in the community will lessen tremendously with a trained dog by his side. 

-  Emotion Regulation:  While Keller is a sweet and happy boy, he also does have BIG feelings.  Therapy dogs are taught to help children regulate their emotions.

-  Behavior Regulation: When Keller is down or frustrated and his anger kicks in, a service dog will be able to notice when he engages in self injurious behaviors and will interrupt those behaviors by laying on him or licking him to distract him and stop the behavior. 

-  Academic Skills:  Service Dogs are known to help children become more verbal and improve their ability to display his inner intelligence.   

-  Motor Planning:  Service Dogs can help children navigate new motor plans, while they hold the dog it will help their body move.

-  Lost Child:  Service Dogs are trained to find a child, if they happen to wander off and become lost.


This sounds AMAZING right?   The perfect next step for Keller!  


Watch this video to see what an Autism Service Dog can do. This is who would be training the dog. 

https://youtu.be/hty9_EZP-e0 



However....

We need FINANCIAL HELP:  


Autism Service dogs require approximately 8 to 10 months of daily training.   This is a huge expense at $20,000.  We are able to put some down out of pocket, but not all. 

Asking friends and family for donations is never an easy thing to do. 
But if Keller is able to wake up every morning with a SMILE despite the circumstances he faces daily, I KNOW we can help make that SMILE even bigger by raising enough money to get him a SERVICE DOG.  


Would you help us to help him?  We would be so grateful for any financial help you can offer, so we can meet our goal and get a SERVICE DOG for Keller.    

We promise to keep you updated with pics of the dog once we are able to secure one and once we get him, we'll post more pics of the two of them together. 

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS! 
Crystal, Chase, Keller & Evie Chicola