Autism service dog

Autism service dog

An autism service dog is a service dog trained to assist a person with autism, to help them gain independence, confidence, and the ability to perform activities of daily living similar to anyone else. For the most part, these dogs are trained to perform tasks similar to those of service dogs for other sensory processing disabilities.

Function

A guide dog for a person who is blind signals the handler when the team approaches an intersection so that the handler knows to stop and check for traffic. An autism dog might be trained to do the exact same task, except that instead of giving visual information ("I see an intersection"), they give prioritizing information ("I recognize a situation that requires concentrated processing"). Autism service dogs may guide a confused handler from an overstimulating situation on command, just as a guide dog would guide their handler home on command.

They might signal the handler if important sounds, like that of a smoke alarm. When a person is trying to process 20 different things, including the sounds of crickets, a smoke alarm, the smell of the fabric softener on the sheets, the feel of the fabric on their skin, and so on, it may take them a while to get down the list to the really important information: the smoke alarm. Those without processing impairments automatically recognize the urgency of the smoke alarm, but many with autism cannot do so without careful consideration. They certainly know what it means and that it is urgent, but they must think it through step-by-step to arrive at the conclusion that a speedy exit is required. As with a person who is deaf, a trained service dog can signal the person with autism of an important event, such as a smoke alarm, the phone ringing, someone at the door, the alarm clock, the kitchen timer, the baby crying, et cetera. [http://servicedogcentral.org/content/node/214 Service Dog Central - Tasks for Autism Service Dogs] Retrieved on January 28, 2008.]

Use with children

In the recent years there has been a trend to tether very young autistic children to dogs to keep them from bolting or running away. In some other cases the dog is expected to act as a kind of babysitter and notify the parents when the child tries to leave the house. The service dog community at large disapproves of this practice for safety reasons, however it has not yet been tested in court whether these dogs would legally be considered service dogs or not. [http://servicedogcentral.org/content/node/79 Service Dog Central - Autism Service Dogs] Retrieved on January 28, 2008.] [http://www.iaadp.org/lassie.html International Association of Assistance Dog Partners - What Every Caregiver Needs To Know About Service Dogs] Retrieved on January 28, 2008.]

Note: There is a very significant split among the service dog community concerning tethering.

See also

*Guide dog
*Hearing dog
*Medical response dog
*Mobility assistance dog
*Psychiatric service dog
*Seizure response dog

Footnotes


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Psychiatric service dog — A psychiatric service dog is a specific type of service dog trained to assist their handler with a psychiatric disability, such as post traumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia. Although assistance dogs classically help with physical… …   Wikipedia

  • Autism therapies — A three year old with autism points to fish in an aquarium, as part of an experiment on the effect of intensive shared attention training on language development.[1] Autism therapies attempt to lessen the deficits and …   Wikipedia

  • Sociological and cultural aspects of autism — Autism cure movement Issues Autism therapies Causes of autism Sociological and cultural aspects …   Wikipedia

  • Dogs for the Disabled — Coordinates: 52°4′13.16″N 1°18′13.55″W / 52.0703222°N 1.3037639°W / 52.0703222; 1.3037639 Dogs for the Disabled is a UK bas …   Wikipedia

  • NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans) — is a nationwide American 501(c)3 nonprofit program that provides trained assistance dogs to deaf and disabled Americans. Contents 1 History 2 Puppy Program 2.1 Prison PUPs Program …   Wikipedia

  • Epilepsy — Epileptic redirects here. For the graphic novel, see Epileptic (graphic novel). Epilepsia redirects here. For the journal, see Epilepsia (journal). Epilepsy Classification and external resources Generalized 3 Hz spike and wave discharges in EEG …   Wikipedia

  • List of common misconceptions — This incomplete list is not intended to be exhaustive. This is a list of current, widely held, false ideas and beliefs about notable topics which have been reported by reliable sources from around the world. Each has been discussed in published… …   Wikipedia

  • Mark B. Cohen — For other uses, see Mark Cohen (disambiguation). Mark B. Cohen Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 202nd district Incumbent Assumed office 1974 Preceded by Eugene Gelfand …   Wikipedia

  • Health and Disease — ▪ 2009 Introduction Food and Drug Safety.       In 2008 the contamination of infant formula and related dairy products with melamine in China led to widespread health problems in children, including urinary problems and possible renal tube… …   Universalium

  • Huntington, West Virginia — City of Huntington, West Virginia   City   Huntington s Central Business District as seen from the Robert C. Byrd Bridge at 6th Street …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”