I'm trying to find some "How to...." information on training service dogs for kids with autism. I'm working with a client that has an autistic child and a 6 month old pit x cane corso. I started off with with some basic obedience and behavior mods but now find I need some specialized suggestions from someone who has been there done that

I realize that this may not be the best breed choice for the task at hand but that's what I have to work with. The puppy definitely causes the boy to calm down who is non verbal, low functioning, and can resort to hitting himself and other self destructive behaviors.

I've found information on-line as to where to find agencies that provide trained service dogs but not much on the actual training techniques. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Mark

The first thing I would do is ensure that the dog will be non-reactive if the child hits the dog. You need a very stable, non-reactive dog for this sort of work.

Beyond that, you have to tailor service tasks to the child.
What tasks does the child need the dog to perform?

I posted a similar question a few years ago. A co-worker's brother was getting a service dog for their autistic son. They were holding bake sales and whatever to raise the $20K for the trained black Lab. I was wondering if they were being scammed.

They eventually got the dog. I never saw the dog in action, this is just second-hand info. But essentionally, the dog was trained to be a slug -- totally non-reactive to anything in it's enviroment.

The child could hug and hold the dog when the child felt upset or nervous. They said that was really helpful in calming the child.

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eta ... Found the original thread,
http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/198586/page/1

That would be an Emotional Support Dog, not a Service Dog.

Well the ideal socialization period has passed (8-16 weeks) - hopefully the dog has been socialized around kids? What is the dog's level of drive/activity? What do you judge are the owners abilities to provide leadership/training/exercise for the dog?

I don't know that the breed per se would be a problem, but the breed in absence of leadership, rules, boundaries, limitations certainly could be a problem just because of it's strength.

Agree with Aaron - the dog absolutely must be completely non-reactive to kiddo. In terms of tasks, companionship and proximity along with stability, and calm nature are the biggest things. Some dogs learn to interrupt the self-stimulation and self-abusive behavior - but I don't honestly know whether this is an outgrowth of their relationship with the child (as in some seizure-alert dogs) or is/can be trained. It would seem that a responsive dog could be marker-trained to lick or nudge a child who was, for example, engaging in head-banging.

Mark - information available is a hodge-podge. This is an area of interest of mine as well. Here's one Google search - you can use other terms and look around some: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=therapy+dogs+book&aq=f&aqi=g-v1&aql=&oq=

I would highly recommend seeking, at minimum, CGC certification, and shooting for Therapy Dog certification (TDI or Delta Society) so that the dog could go out with kiddo into public. This book by the Volhards is excellent and could be useful for the owners/parents: http://www.amazon.com/Canine-Good-Citizen-Every-Second/dp/0876054521/ref=pd_sim_b_1


Good luck. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread. There is a wealth of knowledge here, but haven't seen too many working specifically on a therapy dog for an Autistic boy. Kelly (Leerburg Moderator) has an excellent shep that is an active, working therapy dog working with her with children with emotional disabilities in a residential setting. I'm not sure how many of her clients have cognitive impairments - but Kelly is a pro in this area. Hopefully, she'll weigh in on this thread - if not, you could PM her.

And not worth $20,000!

Scam.

You can get a lazy slug dog for $100 at my local pound every week if you wanted.

Now I am not down playing the support this offers... My niece is severely Autistic. Non-verbal, now, but non-violent. She is has Downs and the obvious retardation that goes with it. She adored my father's old dog Bear who was very similar to what Charlie described, a very easy going, low energy dog that just wanted to be beside someone at all times. We took Bear EVERYWHERE Savannah went. We live in a small enough town that Bear was known and trusted by all, and Savannah herself is well known and loved.

Bear was a Chow/Pit/Lab mix. He passed at the age of 17. He was Savannah's constant companion for her entire life, all 15 years. She re-named him when she was still verbal and he was about five years old.

All she needed was continuity. Having Bear to touch (she is very tactile) when stressed was VERY important and helped her to calm down. He was patient and calm. No pulling, no pushiness, no exuberance at all. He wore a harness so she had something to hold onto if needed, otherwise she would grab his fur and pull, not fair to him. He was really just a calm, constant companion.

 Quote: Charlie Snyder

But essentionally, the dog was trained to be a slug -- totally non-reactive to anything in it's enviroment.

The child could hug and hold the dog when the child felt upset or nervous. They said that was really helpful in calming the child.

Yep

 Quote: JessicaKromer

similar to what Charlie described, a very easy going, low energy dog that just wanted to be beside someone at all times.
We took Bear EVERYWHERE Savannah went. We live in a small enough town that Bear was known and trusted by all, and Savannah herself is well known and loved.

Having Bear to touch (she is very tactile) when stressed was VERY important and helped her to calm down. He was patient and calm. No pulling, no pushiness, no exuberance at all. He wore a harness so she had something to hold onto if needed, otherwise she would grab his fur and pull, not fair to him. He was really just a calm, constant companion.

What a perfect dog and community for a special needs kiddo. She was very forunate. I couldn't agree more with your description about the conditions that made the dog helpful. So much is in selection of dog with the right temperament, along with a home environment that supports the calm, stable, supportive demeanor that your father (and you?) provided for Bear. Awesome.

In addition to interrupting stimming behavior for autistic children, some Autism Service Dogs are trained to "tether".

They are trained to do a loose, off-leash heel with the family in public places. The autistic child wears a belt or a harness that is connected to the dog. This prevents wandering off, as the dog remains close to the family, and the child reminds with the dog.

This can allow an autistic child the freedom of movement to avoid feeling overwhelmed in social settings, without the risk of separation.

An additional benefit is that the child is seen connected to the service dog, which gives nosy, rude people a clue that this child who may be acting strangely is not a spoiled brat, but a child with neurological challenges that makes being in such an intimidating overwhelming place, very difficult.

I have also seen Autism Service Dogs that were trained to track the child in the unlikely event that the child SHOULD become lost.

Larger breed dogs have also been used for "deep pressure therapy" which can be very common for children who struggle with sensory processing. Newfoundlands are very popular for this, but you must be careful that the dog is well trained and lacks dominance before you begin that sort of training.

The tasks really have to be tailored to the individual child's needs. No two autistic children are exactly the same. Varying levels and types of impairments will change what the dog needs to provide.

Often times, a child has no need for a Service Dog, and needs only an Emotional Support Dog.

 Quote: aaron myracle

In addition to interrupting stimming behavior for autistic children, some Autism Service Dogs are trained to "tether".

They are trained to do a loose, off-leash heel with the family in public places. The autistic child wears a belt or a harness that is connected to the dog. This prevents wandering off, as the dog remains close to the family, and the child reminds with the dog.

This can allow an autistic child the freedom of movement to avoid feeling overwhelmed in social settings, without the risk of separation.

An additional benefit is that the child is seen connected to the service dog, which gives nosy, rude people a clue that this child who may be acting strangely is not a spoiled brat, but a child with neurological challenges that makes being in such an intimidating overwhelming place, very difficult.

I have also seen Autism Service Dogs that were trained to track the child in the unlikely event that the child SHOULD become lost.

All great points. It may be awhile before the 6 month old pup is ready to be tethered to kiddo - but I could see this as a really valuable function that could increase the independence of the child and provide a welcome respite to the adults who could supervise rather than constantly hover over child.

I wonder whether these folks chose their current pup from parents who had the traits that we are talking about???? Obviously, not all dogs are genetically prepared to handle these very specific and highly critical demands.

Newfoundlands+ autistic children = <3