A Letter From An Autism Service Dog Family

Dear Friend Of SDWR
We live in Stafford, VA. We have 2 sons, 8 and 5 years old with moderate and severe autism. We contacted SDWR a little over a year ago now and after visiting the farm at Easter 2015, we signed the contract and began our fundraising. We finished our commitment in 2.5 months and received Jaxon, a beautiful golden retriever.

Our Autism Service Dog has brought a lot of wonderful things into our lives. The comfort and support that he provides to both our children no one else is able to do. Jaxon brought a "yes I can" attitude to our 8 year old, Owen, who has a very poor self image with no self confidence. Jax is that friend that is always there for him and to a child that thinks no one likes him that's important.

 Jaxon learned how to cover Owen like a weighted blanket in his first training session with the trainer. Owen uses this "cover" command daily to calm himself when he is getting overstimulated. Owen has also been working with Jaxon at school with my assistance this year. He has gotten so good at handling Jax, I would say Owen does 99% of the handling. It won't be long that Owen will not need any support. Which again is amazing for a "I can't" type attitude/personality. Landon, 5 years old was completely non verbal before Jax arrived. Now, Landon scripts and sings, Thomas the Train songs. He still doesn't have back and forth/spontaneous language yet. But, at least we are getting something. :)

We also use Jaxon as ballast and we tether Landon to him when going out in public. It's funny when Jaxon first arrived Landon didn't want anything to do with him and we watched Jaxon wait for him. Never pushing Landon's limits, just waiting for him to want to touch him. Then after about a week Landon was irritated with us and was whining and fussing. Jaxon just stood next to him and Landon started petting him and stopped whining and fussing.

We are also training our Autism Service Dog to Search and Rescue Landon, since Landon can't verbally speak and is a wanderer. This is a VERY important job he will do for us! Both children use Jaxon in different ways that support their needs and Jaxon is there for both of them. This has probably been the best tool we could have ever given our children.

Jaxon always seems to know who needs him and will approach that family member waiting to provided emotional support... Even if its me or my husband. If I could say one thing about SDWR and our Autism Service Dog, Jaxon...it would be, No Regrets. I hope this helps you and your family. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Best Wishes,
Crystal

Autism Speaks & SDWR with FOX 5: Donate today!

Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers has a special relationship with Autism Speaks. They train service dogs for individuals with disabilities, including those with autism. Dan Warren joined us to tell up about his program.

By: fox5dc.com staff

April is Autism Awareness Month, and FOX 5 DC Cares has partnered with Autism Speaks to raise awareness—and to feature some of the amazing members of our local autism community. All week, we’ve been bringing you their stories, and now, it’s your chance to do something to help.

How Does An Autism Service Dog Work?

At SDWR, we frequently get the question well "how does an autism service dog work?" Well, each Autism Service Dog is a little bit different in that our trainers teach them to work for you! Each child on the spectrum has a slightly different case, it's not a service dog "one size fits all" because Autism Therapy is not a one size fits all diagnosis. Our trainers work with your family to address concerns specific to your child and train the dog skills to provide peace of mind and therapeutic relief.   Let's look at a few of the skills we can teach services dogs and show you how they workd. Elopement is when a person leaves an area without permission or notification which usually leads to placing that individual in a potentially dangerous situation. Elopement, wandering or bolting from an area (i.e. home, classroom, etc.) is a relatively common problem in individuals with autism. Watch this service dog keep their child from wandering into the street!



People with autism can also have a learning disability or trouble focusing in school environments. Autism Service Dogs work to provide comfort and physical stability that often allows children to perform better in therapy and school environments. Watch this boy and his Autism Service Dog during a class, a feat which his parent's said was a new accomplishment with the help of their dog.



Many children with Autism experience senseory overload. People with sensory integration difficulties - including many people with an ASD - have difficulty processing everyday sensory information. Our service dogs provide a stationary support that gives them both physical comfort and emotional support in stressful situation. Watch this autism service dog and his boy during Glow Bowling!

   

FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.SDWR.ORG

Help Us Raise Autism Service Dogs

We are ready to place quite a few puppies in the coming weeks and we need YOUR HELP! Please consider registering today atwww.sdwr.org/puppy-raiser-program/

Volunteers do it not because they have more time, they do it because they have more heart!

• What is the timeframe for raising a puppy? How long do raisers keep the dog? A: Raisers receive the pups when they are approximately 8 weeks old, and they usually remain in the puppy raiser home until they are between 14 and 18 months old. The length of time may vary, however, depending on the individual puppy’s development or our need for dogs.

• What are the main responsibilities of SDWR puppy raisers? Who teaches the service dog tasks? A: Puppy raisers are responsible for teaching puppies good behavior both at home and in public, and what to expect and accept in this busy world. Raisers also rear the pups to be close companions—to trust and be trusted. The raisers’ goal is to develop energetic and curious pups into mature, dependable dogs that have the following characteristics:
  1. Well-behaved: The pups have good house manners and will not relieve in the house. They are quiet and calm, eat only their own food and are not destructive.
  2. Socialized to the world: The pups have been exposed to a wide variety of people, things and places and accept new situations in a calm manner.
  3. Well-traveled: The puppies are relaxed and comfortable when traveling in all modes of transportation: cars, buses, trains, airplanes, ferries, etc.
  4. People-friendly: The pups bond well with people, enjoy receiving verbal praise and are eager to please.
  5. Animal-friendly: The pups are calm and appropriate around all sorts of animals including other dogs, cats, birds, livestock, etc.
  6. Responsive: The pups obey basic commands and are cooperative during various training exercises.

The actual training where the dogs learn the specific skills and commands to be Service Dogs are done through a comprehensive approach involving each family in their environment once the dogs are returned to us by our professional staff of Instructors.

• What if 12-18 months is too long of a commitment? A: We also need short-term raisers who will keep a puppy until it is at least 20 weeks old. Short-term raisers housebreak and begin training the puppy before it is placed with another raiser who will finish raising the pup.

• Does an SDWR puppy require any special foods? A: Yes. SDWR does require that SDWR puppies be fed one of several specifically chosen brands of high-quality dry dog food. A SDWR puppy should never receive table scraps.

• What breeds of dog does SDWR use? A: All dogs in the program are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers. We ask all volunteer puppy raisers to be flexible regarding gender, breed or color to assure that every puppy finds a home quickly and efficiently.

• Where does SDWR get their puppies? A: We have our own breeding program and In addition to our private breeding, we work with several licensed breeders in Virginia, as well as futher afield, to obtain puppies that are best suited to service dog careers. These acquisitions are at the discretion of our organization.

• I am 15 years old, can I raise a puppy? A: You must be at least 18 years old to be a volunteer puppy raiser. Those under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian living in the same household as a co-applicant on the puppy raiser application.

• Do I need a fenced yard? A: We strongly prefer that our puppy raiser homes have a fenced yard. Puppy raisers must agree to follow our supervision and leash requirements. Puppies must not be off leash at any time unless in an enclosed area.

• What type of training will I do with the puppy? A: Puppy raisers must set aside time for daily training and attend obedience classes for the duration of the project. In some areas, we provide puppy classes free of charge. However, if you live in an area without a SDWR puppy class available, you must find and attend an approved public obedience class at your expense.

• How much exercise do the dogs require? A: Puppies need physical activity in the form of play or walking. Puppy raisers should expect to provide at least 25-40 minutes of exercise per day. SDWR puppies are not allowed to visit public dog parks.

• How old do you have to be to raise a puppy? A: The primary puppy raiser must be an adult 18 years of age or older. However, minors are allowed to raise with an adult co-raiser living in the same home. Note: Puppies can’t attend school with children in the household.

• I work outside the home; can I still be a puppy raiser?A: Absolutely! Most puppy raisers gain approval to take the puppy to work. We recommend speaking to your employer prior to applying. The puppy will need regular toileting breaks throughout the day.

• Can the puppy stay at home while I am at work? A: It’s imperative to the puppy’s development that supervision and socialization are provided throughout every day. Puppy raisers must either have prior approval to bring the puppy to the workplace or provide an alternative for the socialization and care of the puppy during the day. When left unsupervised, SDWR puppies should always be in an appropriate size crate.

• Who takes care of the dog if I go out of town? A: In most cases, the puppy can accompany the puppy raiser on vacation, or can be placed with a sitter that meets our criteria. We offer guidelines for age appropriate travel outings and activities.

Autism Service Dog Helps With Elopment

Autism Service dog keeps little boy from wandering into the street.

Autism service dogs add structure in day-to-day life, and ultimately enhance overall well-being for the whole family. They act as a safety net, a guardian, and a friend when there is no one else to provide the support every child with Autism needs. SDWR’s proprietary training and placement program ensures that every family with an Autism dog finds the independence and safety they are looking for.
Find out more at: www.sdwr.org/service-dogs/autism/

Reaching Goals With Autism

It is often difficult to for those with autism spectrum disorders to work towards goals. This difficulty can be explained by the inability to sustain problem solving capabilities—part of the job of our executive functioning system. In those with autism this system can be inhibited. Executive Dysfunction or a deficit in executive functioning is a one of the core deficits of Autism Spectrum Disorders, or Asperger’s Syndrome.

What is Executive Function?

Executive Function is an important self-regulatory system that when in deficit, makes it difficult to take steps towards a goal while incorporating information and making adjustments along the way. Executive Functioning is what gives us the capability for self-control which allows us to sustain problem solving directed towards a goal—the brain function responsible for goal-directed problem solving, and goal-directed persistence.

Executive Dysfunction Makes Reaching Goals Difficult

Those living with executive dysfunction often have difficulty reaching goals. Goal reaching issues can best be understood when likened to sensory processing issues, which may be related both functions being performed in the frontal cortex of the brain. For example, with auditory processing issues, the auditory system seems to be unable to filter out background noise, or hone in on a particular sound when required. There is no filter; everything is comes at you at the same time, fawning for your attention—now. There is no hierarchy of importance in these sounds, meaning the sound of a voice speaking to you is of the same importance to your auditory system as the sounds of the traffic in the background, and, therefore, seemingly as loud and distracting. A person’s voice blends into the backgrounds sounds, often becoming disorienting, and making all the sounds and words blend together. This is particularly problematic if stressed, distracted, or overloaded in any way.Making progress towards goals is very similar to this experience when you live with executive dysfunction. All the steps required to make progress towards a specific goal gets jumbled together.The autistic person will often have trouble deciding what to do next (sequencing) in order to move themselves closer to the goal because all the tasks needed to be completed, are of equal importance (prioritizing), and need their attention—now (no filter). This inability to sequence and prioritize effectively often results in not being able to complete a project/goal.

Is There a Way to Overcome or Compensate for Executive Dysfunction?

Working in a quiet environment where you are less likely to be interrupted can help with maintaining focus on sequencing and working towards goals and projects. Keeping detailed lists, and prioritizing those lists ahead of time will help give your task direction and allow you to not have to rely on working short-term memory to keep track of the next task in the sequence. With proper planning, assistance, and minimal distractions many of the executive functioning issues that a person with autism experiences can be overcome.

It is important to remember that autistic individuals are detail oriented and sometimes lose sight of the whole picture, project, or goal—something known as weak central coherence. This coupled with executive functioning difficulties can make working towards goals and projects, or “keeping their eye on the ball” difficult. In some cases, medication to help with executive functioning can help, as well as, other coping strategies such as making and prioritizing lists ahead of time, minimalizing distractions, and asking for assistance when needed.