Dogs for Autism
YOU CAN HELP US HELP THEM
As you all know I always have a great time when I visit The Walled Garden, but when I went down yesterday I was greeted with PUPPIES…and yes I mean plural!
The walled garden closed their doors to the public yesterday for a very special fundraising event.
Dogs for Autism had come to The Walled Garden for the afternoon to spread some awareness of the amazing work they do. This charity is the UK’s first charity to exclusively provide Autism Assistance Dogs to Autistic people and their families and help transform their lives.
All of the dogs are ‘puppy walked’ by professional dog trainers who live locally to the client families. Bonding work and developmental training within the family and with the autistic child/adult starts in early puppy hood. The journey towards final placement is designed to be organic and seamless, with a strong relationship building over time.
How do they help?
The needs of every autistic client and their family differ, however the interventions the dogs are trained for include:
- Tethering via a ’tummy lead’ harness or second dog lead to encourage calm and settled walking behavior outside of the home.
- Deep pressure work to help regulate the proprioceptive system and reduce anxiety.
- communication games to encourage social engagement, speech and language and social confidence.
- Settling behaviors to promote relaxation and self-regulation.
The things you can’t measure
- Providing a safe anchor in a confusing environment
- Increasing independence and supporting family life
- Self regulation
- Intuitive comfort, unconditional friendship, fun, laughter and love.
- Having a very best friend!
700,000 children and adults have a diagnosis of Autism in the UK. Together with their families this means that autism is a part of daily life for 2.8 million people.
How can YOU help?
- Make a one off donation via the website or set up a monthly payment
- Pay for monthly training sessions-£20
- Pay for training treats for one dog for the month-£10
- Pay for a puppy toy per month- £5
The work this charity does is amazing and a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to transform the lives of a lot of people. Please do what you can to help support them.
For more information please visit www.dogsofautism.org.uk
Or e-mail info@dogsforaustism.org.uk
