Andrew is a 14 year old who lives at home in Cincinnati, Ohio with his mother, father, and two much younger brothers. Living with dual diagnoses (ASD, OCD, ADHD, and GAD) is no small feat, but Andrew does it everyday and remains just as full of life and affectionate as ever. But it takes a toll. It can be draining to attend school, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, not to mention trying to be patient with two toddler brothers at home. His mind and body are in constant motion. He suffers from poor sleep, sensory issues, picking at his skin until he bleeds, and emotional outbursts. Or, when he just can't take anymore, he shuts down and retreats to his room alone until he can handle the world again. Having started middle school last year at the Heidt Center of Excellence at the Children's Home, an autism specific program within the Cincinnati Public School district, we have already seen a marked difference in his efforts to hold a conversation that isn't only one-sided and learning to make himself simple meals on a stove top or microwave. We see a semi-independent future he might not have had otherwise, without that support in place.
We are raising funds for an autism service dog to give Andrew the calming presence and protection of a being who is focused on his needs. This will continue the social and emotional support that we have been working towards with the help of his amazing teachers and aides at the Heidt Center of Excellence. We are excited to help Andrew navigate the transition to high school soon and maybe someday in to fulfilling employment. A service dog will be a tremendous help as he explores what life has in store for him. The dog will be trained on behavior disruption to interrupt those harmful behaviors, such as skin picking and when Andrew is facing a meltdown/shutdown. Tracking will also be a key skill the dog will learn so that if Andrew wanders off in our neighborhood, the dog can help find him. Second leash skills in public will provide Andrew with a leash he can hold while his mom or dad holds the handler leash. Because Andrew gets distracted in parking lots and stores and because he has run off while playing in his yard, these tracking and second leash skills can be life saving.
