Who can resist a dogs-and-kids story?
I am on record as not being the world's biggest fan of my dog, or dogs in general. I had the world's sweetest golden retriever mutt growing up and this convinced me I liked dogs, when in fact I have discovered as an adult that I liked Phoebe the Wonder Dog and not dogs in general. Unfortunately, I discovered this after we adopted the world's most annoying beagle mutt.
But I'll give dogs this – they are loving, loyal critters that, when treated well, seem to have a sense of empathy. And that picture, I mean, seriously, I could go all Cute Overload here.
That's why it's interesting that Canine Companions for Independence, which trains assistance dogs and their owners, now are providing dogs to children with autism. They have about 100 dogs serving autism families.
Assistance dogs can help children with autism by providing companionship, supporting independence and acting as a social bridge to others. The dogs can help them learn both responsibility and social interaction, and also signals to others that their owner has a disability.
That last is key – autism doesn’t "show" on the outside and bystanders can often think the person is being inappropriate or weird. Having the dog makes them seem more approachable to others, and can also provide a nonjudgmental and loving presence for these children.
One mom even reported that after seven years of not speaking, her son's first word was "Fetch" to the dog. Shortly thereafter, he even developed enough language to string together three-word sentences.
It's enough to make even a cat person like me thaw a little.
