No one can be sure what causes autism in children. Nevertheless, we can say for sure that this category of society is very vulnerable and requires constant protection and attention. Service animals can help with this.
How do dogs affect an autistic person’s condition?
One of the main problems with autism is concentration. The child either cannot concentrate on anything, or concentrates on one action. The animal can help in both cases. On the one hand, the dog draws the attention of its owner to a specific task that needs to be completed. And on the other hand, people with autism often become obsessed with completing a specific task. The animal in such a situation prevents its owner from repeating the action and switches his attention to something else.
Also, people with autism live in their own separate world, which may be incomprehensible to us. Therefore, they poorly understand the emotions of other people and build communication in a different way. The animal helps children with autism to socialize, makes them more friendly, helps to distinguish between good and bad. Interaction with society prevents the child from feeling abandoned and unacceptable. Therefore, people with autism who have a pet have a larger social circle and are less likely to engage in sociopathic behavior.
More information about How Emotional Support Animals Help People and How to Register Service Dog you can find on the website https://myserviceanimal.org.
Service dogs
Service animals are specially trained creatures designed to make life easier for humans with inabilities. From an early age, animals undergo special training, where they are taught obedience, behavior in society, as well as the execution of commands and tasks of the owner. All of this is intended to facilitate the life of a person with a disability and make his or her impairment more invisible to him or her.
In addition to performing mandatory commands such as “sit”, “lie down” or “beside”, the animal can fulfill other assignments. For example, many service dogs can search for and bring items to the handler, remind them to take medication, open doors, and call the elevator. Dogs can also provide first aid when needed or press the panic button to call an ambulance.
All service dogs are easy to tame, so each person will be able to teach the animal to carry out the commands that are necessary for him.
Types of service animals
The most spread type of service animals are guide dogs. They succor people with impaired vision to navigate in space and can bring someone to help if the owner is in trouble. There are also dogs of hearing, which give signs to their hearing-impaired owners in case of extraneous sounds. There are also mobility dogs that assist humans with mobility dysfunctions. For instance, the dog can roll a wheelchair or be a physical prop for its handler.
A separate type of service animals is psychiatric ones, which aid people with psychic, intellectual, and learning dysfunctions. Psychiatric service dogs often serve people with PTSD, anxiety, eating disorders, and many other psychical frustrations. These animals can also help people, including children, with dyslexia and autism. First of all, they are designed to relieve a person from tension and stress. It has been proven that in a calm state, people with intellectual disabilities are much better at concentrating and performing assignments.
Features of interaction with animals for autistic individuals
First of all, such service dogs are aimed at helping kids with autism. They are great nannies who make sure that the child is always safe. For example, a dog will prevent a child from leaving the house unattended and will make sure he or she does not play with unsafe objects. The dog always accompanies its owner, wherever he goes, and is ready to prevent danger at any time.
Quite often, special leashes are also used, which allow the animal to restrain the child. The main end of the leash is with the parents. But the dog will be able to restrain the child during an attack of hyperactivity or from the urge to run away during a walk.
How can you get a service animal?
First of all, in order to get a service animal for people with autism, you need to contact a therapist who reaffirm that a person has a deviation. A medical certificate from a doctor will be the basis for obtaining a service animal. After, you need to contact the animal training center, where the future owner can choose the pet that he likes the most.
It is essential that the acquaintance of an animal with a man takes place under the сare of specialists, especially when it comes to children. Also, at the service animal training center, professionals will explain to you how to properly handle a new pet, how to take care of it, tell you about the necessary training and diet.