Carli Service Dog Foundation

Carli is a 4 1/2 year old little girl who has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Mixed Language Disorder, and Sensory Processing Disorder. She is currently in an integrated Special Ed preschool program and attends weekly therapy sessions with a behavioral therapist. Progress is being made with these but home life has been difficult for Carli. Life isn't as predictable as school. Things change or may not go as planned and she really struggles. Carli is very smart and is on track for her age cognitively, but socially and emotionally she is at a 2 year old level. She has numerous meltdowns at home which can lead to her hurting herself or her little brother. She has really hard time coping with change and managing her emotions. Carli also struggles with initiating play and dialog with kids her own age. She can parallel play but creating dialog and engaging with peers is difficult for her. She would much rather do puzzles and watch things on her ipod than play with her brother.
After much thought, research and advise from Carli's therapist, we submitted an application for an Autism Service Dog through Pawsabilities Unleashed in KY. Our appliction was approved! Some of the benefits of the dog include:
*Can be used during therapy to help the child increase speech prodution as well as be a great source for sensory input
*Can calm the child, reduce emotional outbursts and serve as a positive social link for the child to their home, school, and community.
*The dog can help improve socialization skills by bridging the gap between children with Autism and society.
*Help the child become more independent and also with transitions. They can lend support and a calming influence to the child as they cope in highly stressful situations and changes in routine.
*Can accompany the child at all times.
We have discussed this huge decision with Cali and she is very open to the service dog. In her words "it will make me happy and not sad anymore". Carli has named her service dog Shadow. We have not yet received a photo, but we do know that she will be receiving a 1 year old Aussiedoodle.
Once we raise our funds, our family will be driving to KY for a week long training with the dog and trainers.
For any questions or for more information on where we are getting the service dog from please visit www.pawsabilitiesunleashed.org/autism-service-dogs
Thank you for your time, prayers, and support.
We can't thank you enough.
Love,
James, Robin, Carli and Connor