Autism Service Dog for Leyton

My husband and I are fundraising for an autism service dog for our five year old son, Leyton. He is absolutely the sweetest and most exceptional little man. However, he experiences the debilitating anxiety and self-harming behavior during emotional meltdowns that accompanies the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Sensory overload and constant social anxiety make every day an internal battle for him. We have tried every therapy available and though he has made tremendous progress, he still struggles every day and it breaks our hearts. We are hopeful that a service dog will help alleviate some of the social and emotional anxiety. An autism service dog can accompany a child to decrease anxiety during medical or dental visits, school activities, shopping and travel. Some autism service dogs are trained to recognize and gently interrupt self-harming behaviors or help de-escalate an emotional meltdown. For instance, it might respond to signs of anxiety or agitation with a calming action such as leaning against the child (or adult) or gently laying across his or her lap. We truly believe that an autism service dog will make a difference for our son and allow him to have a better quality of life as well as a companion and best friend that will be there through thick and thin.