Pet column: Service dogs specialize in autistic children

When a child is diagnosed with autism, parents’ lives change forever. The neurological disorder is characterized by abnormal social and communication behaviors and the presence of repetitive behaviors, such as hand flapping or spinning in circles, sometimes for hours.

Individuals may fall anywhere on the autism spectrum, from highly functioning to severely impaired.

Autistic children are prone to unintentionally wandering or running away, sometimes becoming lost. Some engage in self-injurious behavior, such as head-banging or self-hitting. And others experience frequent meltdowns, falling to the ground kicking and screaming.

Public environments tend to stimulate these children excessively, exacerbating symptoms. A simple outing to the store, or going through the checkout stand, can be horrible for parents, said Beverly Swartz of All Purpose Canines in Aberdeen, S.D.

Swartz trains service dogs for autistic children and has placed dogs with families throughout the United States and Canada. Dogs are taught to track children should they become lost. And children sometimes stop wandering altogether because they don’t want to leave their dog, often their only friend.

Autistic children may walk into oncoming traffic. Dogs, tethered to the child, are taught to stop at curbs. And strangely, although the children don’t realize they will be hurt by cars, they realize their dog will be hurt and they often stop willingly, Swartz said.

The leading cause of death among autistic children is accidents related to wandering, such as exposure to the elements and drowning.

Interrupted sleep patterns and night wandering are issues with autistic children. The dog is one tool to keep the child safe. Just as weighted blankets soothe and induce sleep in some autistics, the pressure of a 60-70 pound dog can soothe and induce sleep, too, Swartz said.

Dogs are trained to redirect the child during repetitive or self-injurious behaviors by bringing a ball to the child and other means. Parents are often able to redirect unwanted behaviors simply by encouraging the child to pet the dog.

Joanne Mañá