Autism Service Dog for Dean
Donation protected
I am fundrasing to acquire a very special service dog from AgVocates.org, who will be specially trained to help protect, guide and comfort my only son, Dean.
A brief history:
Dean is 3 years and 4 months old, He was diagnosed with Autism at two years old, he is non verbal, has a greater than 50% developmental delay, severe expressive and receptive language disorder, sensory processing disorders as well as potentially frequent absence seizures. Medically Dean falls between the 1st-9th percentile across the board, which is within the 12-14 month age range for neurotypical children, however Dean is very smart, there is no mistake of that. Dean is an incredibly sweet, beautiful, loving and special little boy from Oklahoma who needs the help, security, and companionship of an Autism service dog to assist him in navigating the complex and often difficult journey of Autism.
As I mentioned, Dean is non verbal, has absolutely no meaningful vocabulary....yet! Although Dean has made many gains in therapy, which he attends six appointments a week, he doesnt respond to his name, he cannot tell you his name, he cannot tell you if he is thirsty, hungry, in need, scared, lost, hurting, etc.
The world is a dangerous place for all children, especially a child like Dean. Dean does not respond to basic requests, questions or instructions, such as stop (at a busy street for example), he shows no sense of danger or awarenes of his surroudings. He also climbs and perches, which has resulted in many injuries because of this dangerous repetitive behavior.
Dean is seemingly unaware of danger and is affected with a behavior known as elopement, as well as wandering. Elopement is an all too frequent cause of serious injury or even death in children affected by Autism. With no understanding of the threat poised by cars, heights or strangers, Dean is particularly at risk. If I am not physically holding him, he will run into a busy parking lot, street, out of any unlocked door, making him incredibly vulnerable for both the obvious and unspeakable tragedy that could occur, as well as into a predators reach, with no "voice" to alert anyone. These are serious, life threatening behaviors and for this reason, a watchful adult must be within arms reach of Dean at all times.
A certified service dog would provide an additional set of eyes and security to protect him.
Words cannot express the perpetual fear, the sleepless nights, the overwhelming concern I feel for Dean. The worry simply never subdues, ever. Each day brings a new worry, new challenges, new dangers and new behaviors as my sons physical abilities continue to surpass his developmental & emotional "age".
Although I take EVERY safeguard and precautionary measure imaginiable to keep Dean from harm, attend every therapy session, read every book and am a member of virtually every Autism support group, I am gravely concerned for his safety, quality of life and well being, and I am certain his specially trained furry companion could eliminate so many potential hazards and or life threatening situations for my young son. As well as providing him simply with a friend, someone to bond with and count on.
In addition to the physical safety an Autism service dog would provide Dean, there is such a vast amount of other proven benefits Dean would experience with a service dog for a more fullfilling quality of life. Dean, as with many children with Autism, is prone to isolated play, sensory processing issues, difficulty with transitions, severe meltdowns, stemming, making many "normal" activities completely impossible for Dean and I, promoting nothing more than isolation and missed opportunities to interact with peers.
A Few Facts:
Autism service dogs are proven to provide a social "bridge" for children who are often excluded by othes because of their behaviors or lack of social interaction.
Autism service dogs provide comfort as well as can calm children who suffer from Autism. A child with Autism who runs away and hides can also be quickly and easily be found by Autism service dogs that is trained to locate them. These are just a few of the advantages Dean will experience and benefit from his service dog.
Benefits Of Having An Autism Service Dog:
There are countless benefits of owning an Autism service dog for children like Dean affected by Autism. These expertly trained dogs are faithful companions that assist children like Dean with activities of daily living as well as increasing the safety of the child and reducing the stress level of their family. Other advantages of having an Autism service dog include:
*Increased social interaction
*Redirection of repetitive behaviors
*Improved Independence
*Increased vocaulary
*Improved quality of sleep
*An overall calmer enviornment
*Companionship and emotional bonding
*Recovery of lost children quickly
*Less anxiety
*Prompts for stemming
I am working with a non profit agency called AgVocates that will provide a service dog specifically trained to combat and tend to all of Dean's unique needs. In public, Dean's dog will be tethered to him, expertly trained to prevent him from crossing streets, climbing, perching, leaving buildings, or bolting. Dean's service dog will be trained to alert if Dean attempts to escape, pursue him, and stop him if he does elude us.
The canine assistant will be trained to not only track Dean if he wanders, but to proactively provide him comfort thru various methods to prevent elopement, anxiety, stemming and meltdowns before they occur.
Dean has extremely limited social interaction skills, at best he will parrallel play, but he does not have the social abilities and communication skills to play or talk to his peers. I cannot express as a parent what it feels like to watch your child, who you know has so much love to give, sit alone in a crowded play area, watching the other children play together, day after day. A service dog will provide Dean much neeeded attention, companionship, friendship and comfort.
As mentioned, Dean is completely unable to express thoughts, pain, feelings, hunger, thirst, or other basic needs. Failure to address these needs ofthen results in meltdowns including kicking, intense crying, throwing himself to the floor, hair pulling, thrashing and completely shuttting down. The service dog will be in tune with his specific needs and will help him express them. What an increase in quality of life and elimination of such frustration this would bring dean!
But, the cost is great, and while I am apprehensive to ask for help, I am compelled, for my amazing son, and I am hopeful. Training an autism service dog costs over$20,000.00 and takes two years of intense training. My up front out of pocket cost is $11,000.00, for the supplies, the service dog and the training to become certified, this does not inclue continued training and annual care for our new family member. That is alot of money, I understand, it's a lot to ask for, and yet, I am pained to think of a life for Dean without his service dog, companion and what I imagine will be his best friend. So, in that respect, no price tag can be placed on the enrichment a service dog will bring to Dean's life. I am asking, humbly, for any assistnace anyone can provide to help me with some of these costs. Whether it be a donation, a share, a prayer, a forward to a business owner you know that may be looking for a tax write off.... I am grateful for anything, and I know Dean will be too.
Also, if you would rather donate directly to the non profit, you can follow the link http://www.agvocates.org and simply reference Deans service dog. AgVocates is a 501(c)3 non-profit and any charitable donation made on behalf of Dean will be reciepted to use for your tax filings.
Any and all donations will be returned in full if we are unable to acquire Deans service dog thru AgVocates.org.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND SUPPORT!!!
PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD FOR DEAN!!!
#autismawareness #thankyou #supportautism #autismservicedog
A brief history:
Dean is 3 years and 4 months old, He was diagnosed with Autism at two years old, he is non verbal, has a greater than 50% developmental delay, severe expressive and receptive language disorder, sensory processing disorders as well as potentially frequent absence seizures. Medically Dean falls between the 1st-9th percentile across the board, which is within the 12-14 month age range for neurotypical children, however Dean is very smart, there is no mistake of that. Dean is an incredibly sweet, beautiful, loving and special little boy from Oklahoma who needs the help, security, and companionship of an Autism service dog to assist him in navigating the complex and often difficult journey of Autism.
As I mentioned, Dean is non verbal, has absolutely no meaningful vocabulary....yet! Although Dean has made many gains in therapy, which he attends six appointments a week, he doesnt respond to his name, he cannot tell you his name, he cannot tell you if he is thirsty, hungry, in need, scared, lost, hurting, etc.
The world is a dangerous place for all children, especially a child like Dean. Dean does not respond to basic requests, questions or instructions, such as stop (at a busy street for example), he shows no sense of danger or awarenes of his surroudings. He also climbs and perches, which has resulted in many injuries because of this dangerous repetitive behavior.
Dean is seemingly unaware of danger and is affected with a behavior known as elopement, as well as wandering. Elopement is an all too frequent cause of serious injury or even death in children affected by Autism. With no understanding of the threat poised by cars, heights or strangers, Dean is particularly at risk. If I am not physically holding him, he will run into a busy parking lot, street, out of any unlocked door, making him incredibly vulnerable for both the obvious and unspeakable tragedy that could occur, as well as into a predators reach, with no "voice" to alert anyone. These are serious, life threatening behaviors and for this reason, a watchful adult must be within arms reach of Dean at all times.
A certified service dog would provide an additional set of eyes and security to protect him.
Words cannot express the perpetual fear, the sleepless nights, the overwhelming concern I feel for Dean. The worry simply never subdues, ever. Each day brings a new worry, new challenges, new dangers and new behaviors as my sons physical abilities continue to surpass his developmental & emotional "age".
Although I take EVERY safeguard and precautionary measure imaginiable to keep Dean from harm, attend every therapy session, read every book and am a member of virtually every Autism support group, I am gravely concerned for his safety, quality of life and well being, and I am certain his specially trained furry companion could eliminate so many potential hazards and or life threatening situations for my young son. As well as providing him simply with a friend, someone to bond with and count on.
In addition to the physical safety an Autism service dog would provide Dean, there is such a vast amount of other proven benefits Dean would experience with a service dog for a more fullfilling quality of life. Dean, as with many children with Autism, is prone to isolated play, sensory processing issues, difficulty with transitions, severe meltdowns, stemming, making many "normal" activities completely impossible for Dean and I, promoting nothing more than isolation and missed opportunities to interact with peers.
A Few Facts:
Autism service dogs are proven to provide a social "bridge" for children who are often excluded by othes because of their behaviors or lack of social interaction.
Autism service dogs provide comfort as well as can calm children who suffer from Autism. A child with Autism who runs away and hides can also be quickly and easily be found by Autism service dogs that is trained to locate them. These are just a few of the advantages Dean will experience and benefit from his service dog.
Benefits Of Having An Autism Service Dog:
There are countless benefits of owning an Autism service dog for children like Dean affected by Autism. These expertly trained dogs are faithful companions that assist children like Dean with activities of daily living as well as increasing the safety of the child and reducing the stress level of their family. Other advantages of having an Autism service dog include:
*Increased social interaction
*Redirection of repetitive behaviors
*Improved Independence
*Increased vocaulary
*Improved quality of sleep
*An overall calmer enviornment
*Companionship and emotional bonding
*Recovery of lost children quickly
*Less anxiety
*Prompts for stemming
I am working with a non profit agency called AgVocates that will provide a service dog specifically trained to combat and tend to all of Dean's unique needs. In public, Dean's dog will be tethered to him, expertly trained to prevent him from crossing streets, climbing, perching, leaving buildings, or bolting. Dean's service dog will be trained to alert if Dean attempts to escape, pursue him, and stop him if he does elude us.
The canine assistant will be trained to not only track Dean if he wanders, but to proactively provide him comfort thru various methods to prevent elopement, anxiety, stemming and meltdowns before they occur.
Dean has extremely limited social interaction skills, at best he will parrallel play, but he does not have the social abilities and communication skills to play or talk to his peers. I cannot express as a parent what it feels like to watch your child, who you know has so much love to give, sit alone in a crowded play area, watching the other children play together, day after day. A service dog will provide Dean much neeeded attention, companionship, friendship and comfort.
As mentioned, Dean is completely unable to express thoughts, pain, feelings, hunger, thirst, or other basic needs. Failure to address these needs ofthen results in meltdowns including kicking, intense crying, throwing himself to the floor, hair pulling, thrashing and completely shuttting down. The service dog will be in tune with his specific needs and will help him express them. What an increase in quality of life and elimination of such frustration this would bring dean!
But, the cost is great, and while I am apprehensive to ask for help, I am compelled, for my amazing son, and I am hopeful. Training an autism service dog costs over$20,000.00 and takes two years of intense training. My up front out of pocket cost is $11,000.00, for the supplies, the service dog and the training to become certified, this does not inclue continued training and annual care for our new family member. That is alot of money, I understand, it's a lot to ask for, and yet, I am pained to think of a life for Dean without his service dog, companion and what I imagine will be his best friend. So, in that respect, no price tag can be placed on the enrichment a service dog will bring to Dean's life. I am asking, humbly, for any assistnace anyone can provide to help me with some of these costs. Whether it be a donation, a share, a prayer, a forward to a business owner you know that may be looking for a tax write off.... I am grateful for anything, and I know Dean will be too.
Also, if you would rather donate directly to the non profit, you can follow the link http://www.agvocates.org and simply reference Deans service dog. AgVocates is a 501(c)3 non-profit and any charitable donation made on behalf of Dean will be reciepted to use for your tax filings.
Any and all donations will be returned in full if we are unable to acquire Deans service dog thru AgVocates.org.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND SUPPORT!!!
PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD FOR DEAN!!!
#autismawareness #thankyou #supportautism #autismservicedog
Organizer
Stacy Riggall
Organizer
Oklahoma City, OK