Assistance Dog for Timothy
Donation protected
Timothy Eslinger is an 8 year-old autistic, non-verbal boy. He's beautiful, sweet and affectionate; the oldest child in a loving family of 5. Unfortunately, Timothy doesn't have the ability to speak, nor understand his surroundings.
Children with autism are often unable to filter out sensory input (they hear, feel and smell everything...all at once), and are usually unable to ignore or redirect those stimuli. Often, Timothy will internalize his unease and turn to low-level self-harm, such as biting his hands, in an attempt to ease the sensory overload. Autism assistance dogs are unique in the world of helper dogs, in that they are trained to assist a child with emotional support. A dog at Timothy's side can help by giving him a focal point, or a companion that understands what he is going through. Since Timothy doesn't understand how to communicate verbally, his friends and family often have a difficult time understanding his wants or needs. A trained dog can often sense what is bothering a child, and can reassure the child by offering a calming, gentle influence. This dog will make Timothy happier.
In addition to the emotional support, autism assistance dogs can help with a child's personal safety. A child like Timothy doesn't have a concept of safety, and could wander off. Timothy's favorite place in the world is a beach house in Fire Island, and the only things stopping him from wandering off to take a swim in the ocean that he loves so much, are a gate and the watchful eyes of friends and loved ones. Trained dogs have a special ability to help with this, and will never leave their child's side. This dog will make Timothy safer.
All parents have similar hopes and dreams for their children as they grow up, just as they all have the same worries and fears. We can't imagine the type of loneliness Timothy must feel when he can't figure out how to communicate what he's feeling to those around him. Because of his disability, our major fear for Timothy is that he will always feel alone in this way. And no parent wants their child to feel alone. This dog will be the friend Timothy deserves.
While the benefits to getting a service dog are great, unfortunately the expenses are, as well. These dogs are highly trained, and the process is quite time-consuming and expensive. Most services charge between $25,000 - $30,000 per dog. All donations will go to training and caring for a dog that will be by Timothy's side every day, for years to come.
Thank you for caring enough about our son to visit this page.
-Billy & Jeannine
Children with autism are often unable to filter out sensory input (they hear, feel and smell everything...all at once), and are usually unable to ignore or redirect those stimuli. Often, Timothy will internalize his unease and turn to low-level self-harm, such as biting his hands, in an attempt to ease the sensory overload. Autism assistance dogs are unique in the world of helper dogs, in that they are trained to assist a child with emotional support. A dog at Timothy's side can help by giving him a focal point, or a companion that understands what he is going through. Since Timothy doesn't understand how to communicate verbally, his friends and family often have a difficult time understanding his wants or needs. A trained dog can often sense what is bothering a child, and can reassure the child by offering a calming, gentle influence. This dog will make Timothy happier.
In addition to the emotional support, autism assistance dogs can help with a child's personal safety. A child like Timothy doesn't have a concept of safety, and could wander off. Timothy's favorite place in the world is a beach house in Fire Island, and the only things stopping him from wandering off to take a swim in the ocean that he loves so much, are a gate and the watchful eyes of friends and loved ones. Trained dogs have a special ability to help with this, and will never leave their child's side. This dog will make Timothy safer.
All parents have similar hopes and dreams for their children as they grow up, just as they all have the same worries and fears. We can't imagine the type of loneliness Timothy must feel when he can't figure out how to communicate what he's feeling to those around him. Because of his disability, our major fear for Timothy is that he will always feel alone in this way. And no parent wants their child to feel alone. This dog will be the friend Timothy deserves.
While the benefits to getting a service dog are great, unfortunately the expenses are, as well. These dogs are highly trained, and the process is quite time-consuming and expensive. Most services charge between $25,000 - $30,000 per dog. All donations will go to training and caring for a dog that will be by Timothy's side every day, for years to come.
Thank you for caring enough about our son to visit this page.
-Billy & Jeannine
Organizer
Jeannine Eslinger
Organizer
Wantagh, NY