Why a dog is an autistic child's best friend
South Yorkshire charity Support Dogs has just launched an appeal to raise £1million to train Britain's first dogs for children with autism. Jane Cartledge found out how a dog can become a child's best friend
DEVOTED parents Jamie and Nuala Gardner struggled to break into their son's autistic world – but when they got a puppy their lives were transformed.
Today their 18-year-old son is a charming and well adjusted young man and his remarkable story has proved an inspiration to many people with autistic children.
It has also made Sheffield-based charity Support Dogs even more determined to provide specially-trained dogs to help children with autism.
The charity has launched an appeal to raise 1million, which will enable it to introduce a unique national dog training scheme for autism assistance dogs.
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It is the first scheme of its kind in the country and, over the next four years, if it reaches its target, the charity will be able to help hundreds of people affected by autism.
The appeal launch coincides with the paperback release of Nuala Gardner's bestselling book A Friend Like Henry, which tells the story of her son's autism and the Golden Retriever puppy which helped the family get the breakthrough they'd long sought.
Dale was still a baby when his parents realised that something wasn't right – a story familiar to many parent whose children have autistic spectrum conditions.
His mum Nuala, a community nurse, took him to see several doctors, before finally hearing the word 'autism' for the first time in a specialist's office.
She was determined that Dale should live a fulfilling life but describes her despair at her son's condition.
"Every waking minute with him was a maelstrom of conflict as we plunged from one violent tantrum to another," explains Nuala, who lives in Scotland and whose son's autism was the subject of After Thomas, a moving ITV drama, starring Keeley Hawes.
"He didn't even know who we were and our efforts to interact with him were deeply frustrating, completely draining and ultimately, it seemed, quite futile."
All that changed when Nuala and Jamie bought Dale a puppy.
"Even at six weeks old Henry stood out from the rest of the litter. We didn't choose him, he chose Dale.
"Whether he was able to sense our wee boy's troubles and feel he could be of assistance I don't know. All I can say is that his beautiful, stoical, saintly nature was the key to unlocking a personality we never knew our son had."
Dale's touching story is mirrored by that of another family, the Craiks.
They also live in Scotland but are the first family to have been partnered with an autism assistance dog trained by Sheffield-based charity Support Dogs.
Paula Craik's son Joe was diagnosed with autism at two-and-a-half. His development was slow and his muscle tone was weak. Whenever Joe visited a supermarket he would tantrum and it would prove impossible to resolve because he couldn't understand or communicate his feelings.
Joe would need to be restrained.
More on next page. He often injured his mum or himself, and his autism affected the whole family.
When Paula heard about an organisation in Canada that successfully trained dogs for children with autism, she was determined to find a similar solution for Joe.
She immediately contacted all the UK assistance dog charities, initially without success.
Then, by chance, she was put in touch with Sheffield woman Rita Howson, Support Dogs' Head of Training. After hearing her story, Rita agreed to help and following many months of searching, Support Dogs selected a beautiful yellow Labrador called Lacey.
Lacey was introduced to Joe and after almost 12 months' training went to live with the family. A heart-warming bond developed almost immediately.
It is estimated that over 500,000 people in the UK are affected by autism, a lifelong developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to the people around them.
Over 72,000 of these are children between the ages of three and 10 who could benefit from a specially-trained autism assistance dog.
Trained assistance dogs can help improve children's safety, behaviour and socialisation. They act as a constant companion and form a unique bond.
The dog also creates freedom for the child and family to go out from the home, allowing full access to shops, restaurants, hotels and schools.
Furthermore dogs have a wonderful ability to calm children, increasing their attention span and aptitude for learning.
Angela Gregory, Support Dogs' marketing and fundraising officer, adds: "We have set ourselves an extremely ambitious target of 1million to fund the first four years of the programme but achieving this will allow us to provide a truly inclusive national service with no regional restrictions which will see us training 40 dogs every year by 2012.
"By the end of the first four years we will have trained 68 dogs, helped an estimated 300 people and have four fully- qualified full-time autism assistance dog trainers."
The autism assistance dogs programme is totally free of charge to all applicants but Support Dogs receives no Government funding and relies on donations and bequests to fund its life transforming work.
More on next page.LACEY the labrador proved the perfect match for Joe – but finding a child's best friend can be a difficult process.
Rita Howson is the head trainer at Support Dogs and is constantly looking out for child-focused, loyal dogs.
Many of the animals she trains for people with epilepsy or deafness are rescue dogs.
But as Rita explains, a rescue dog's background is often unknown.
"Often we don't know a rescue dog's history and because of that we don't train them up for children.
"Lacey was trained by Guide Dogs for the Blind but she didn't make the grade. She had all the qualities we needed however.
"We put her through almost a year of training and when it was nearly complete Joe's mum came down to Sheffield from their home in Dundee.
"We did some work with Lacey and Joe's mum for a couple of weeks and then a few weeks later we took Lacey to meet Joe at home.
"There was an immediate bond from the very first moment and now after a few months his vocabulary has improved and he's much more communicative.
"Joe mimics the dog, he walks slowly by her side and his aggressive behaviour has definitely lessened."
Most volunteers and trainers at Support Dogs live in the South Yorkshire region and it is hoped the local community will get behind the 1million appeal.
"It's so important we raise this money," added Rita, who is based at Support Dogs' national training centre near Meadowhall.
"These dogs will make a difference to so many young lives.
"It was incredible to see how Lacey helped Joe and there are so many other youngsters like him.
"Hopefully we'll have that opportunity over the next few years."
Each Support dog costs in the region of 10,000 to train and support for life.
Support Dogs, one of the founder members of Assistance Dogs UK and a member of Assistance Dogs Europe and Assistance Dogs International, makes no charge to the disabled person for the dog's training.
n To donate phone 0114 2617800, visit www.support-dogs.org.uk or send a cheque, made payable to Support Dogs, to 21 Jessops Riverside, Brightside Lane, Sheffield, S9 2RX.
SUPPORT DOGS – WHAT YOUR MONEY BUYS: 10 annual membership fee goes towards the rescue and socialisation of a dog.
25 buys leads, collars and identity discs.
50 buys jackets and specialist harnesses.
100 covers the costs of spaying/neutering a dog.
500 covers the cost of client assessment.
1,500 covers the cost of a dog's rescue and socialisation n 5,000 covers the cost of providing aftercare for the dog's working life.
10,000 covers the total cost of training of a dog/client partnership and its working life.
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