Autism Service Dogs

Autism service dogs help individuals with autism in many ways. They are trained to deal with that particular individual's inappropriate behavior. According to Wilderwood Service Dogs, an autism service dog training center, the dogs are trained to: return child or individual to their caregiver if they impulsively run away; wake parents or caregiver if the individual wakes up in the middle of the night and leaves bed; physically interrupt self-injurious or stimulatory behavior; will calm the individual if they are anxious or having mood swings; and they provide social interaction opportunities because of the attention they garner.

Breeds

The breeds most commonly trained to become autism service dogs are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Golden Lab mixes, and German Shepards. These dogs have proven to have a suitable temperament, patience, intelligence, and physical presence to make effective service dogs. They are often the most commonly used breeds in any service dog program.

Getting a Service Dog

Autism service dogs, like service dogs in other specialties, cost a good deal of money and time for proper training. Most major autism service dog training centers list the cost of training a dog around $13,000 to $20,000. Families wishing to get a service dog can't buy a dog outright. Centers accept donations of a preset amount in exchange for a dog. Most centers need around $13,000 per dog from the family. Most centers help families find ways to raise these funds. Often a corporate sponsor will match a family's donation of half the total needed.

Unfortunately the money needed is only part of the problem. Since training service dogs is an intense and time consuming process there is usually a wait list to get a dog. In addition to that, the individual must be a good candidate for a service dog. Not all individuals with autism will benefit from a service dog.

Each training center has an initial application that must be filed. If an individual seems like a good candidate for a service dog a secondary, more specific application is usually filled out. If after both of these applications the individual is accepted, then the fundraising begins.

Even with the acceptance and fundraising, training and integrating the service dog into the life of the individual still needs to take place. Most centers require a week-long training session with the primary dog handler, which is not the individual with autism, but his or her primary caregiver.

Service Dog Considerations

You may face resistance from schools, transportation, or work programs on admitting the service dog. Legally the autism service dog is afforded all of the same privileges as a Seeing Eye dog. Anywhere the person with autism is legally allowed to enter, their service dog is also allowed to enter. Educating businesses and schools of this is usually enough to overcome any objections. Service dogs are exceptionally well behaved. They attend to the person they are serving, so once people realize this they usually don't mind the dog's presence in their business.

Autism Service Dogs of America

4 Paws for Ability

Wilderwood Service Dogs