Service dogs for ASD

[mshanson3121]

Do any of you have a service dog for your child's ASD/Aspergers/SPD etc? If so, in what ways do they help? Also, what do you do with them when you go to Disney?

 

[nikkislaght]

my son does not have a service dog.. I have seen them at Disneyland.. they cannot go on rides I believe . but most or all of the rides have a crate that the dog can go into while on the ride.. I'm sure someone will have more information.

here is Disneys links for service animals

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/service-animals/

 

[wilkeliza]

It really depends on the child. I saw in a different thread both of your children are on the spectrum. Basically while the dog would be a family dog while it is working it would be one or the others service dog. They can help guide the child, prevent bolting, remind older children when to take medicine, and also act as a social beidge for those that are more shy.
The ASD service dogs I have encountered usually are clipped to their handler at the waist so that they can help guide the person but if a child drops the leash the dog is still tethered to their waste.

When in the parks you can bring a service dog with you. Many rides allow service dogs and for those that don't there is a kennel you can leave the dog in or you can utalize rider swap to have ome person stay behind.

 

[DisneyOma]

Some ASD children benefit from a service dog - but remember, a service dog is a dog trained to perform a certain task (or tasks) for an individual. Therapy dogs are different, and provide emotional support but are not trained to do anything. They are not protected as service dogs under ADA.

 

[aaarcher86]

I would think most people take their service dog to Disney with them, as whatever the service dog is aiding doesn't go away on vacation.

If we are talking about an emotional support animal, they'd need to be kenneled or watched by someone as they are not allowed in the parks.

Sometimes I've wondered if looking into a service dog for my daughter would be beneficial, but we've got two dogs now. She's very mean to them if she's upset which is not something I'd want to put another dog through that can't really get away.

 

[lanejudy]

As to whether or not people take their service dogs to Disney -- I'm going to say "that depends." Considerations may include the person's needs at WDW, what the dog is trained to do, the others in the traveling party, and the travel plans overall. Some people leave their service dog at home (dog sitter or kennel) because others in their travel party can/do assist with the very same tasks as the dog; the dog allows for independence at home but at WDW the person is always with others who assist as needed. Another consideration is the environment the dog is used to -- a dog from a much cooler climate may not do well at Disney with the heat and humidity as well as concern for the dog's feet on hot-hot-hot pavement all day.

Sorry I can't help much with how the dog helps for autism. We do not have a service dog, though DD technically does not have an ASD diagnosis. I do know of a couple of families who do have service dogs for their ASD children, but in each of those cases I believe the children have additional diagnoses (at least one has seizures) so I'm not entirely sure if the service dog is specifically for the autism needs.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

WDW must allow entry to a service dog trained to assist a disabled person. ADA says so, but only if the dog is trained to assist. Therapy, companion and emotional support animals are not covered as service animals under ADA; the dog has to be trained to perform a task or tasks for its handler. If a guest has a service dog they may choose to bring the dog to Walt Disney World if it will assist them during their visit. As to what the guest does with the dog, the guest will have to keep the dog with them. There are a number of attractions that cannot accommodate service dogs. For those attractions, someone will need to wait with the dog, or a crate may be provided. CMs may arrange for the crate to be brought but are not obligated to care for the dog.

Although you can bring a service dog to stay at a Disney resort, I don't think the ADA would cover the disabled person going to the park and leaving the dog behind in the room.

 

[buffettgirl]

My friend's son's dog is considered a service dog and the service it provides is to calm her son when needed, move her son out of a situation which is agitating him - it actually herds him. It's really amazing. But, that said, due to her son's autism they would never go to a place like Disney as it would be far too be over stimulating for him. The dog goes to school with him, and when they leave the house, but they're pretty selective with where they go. In other words, his need for the dog is real, but that also means that he's unlikely to ever see the inside of an amusement park.

 

[DisneyOma]

My friend's son's dog is considered a service dog and the service it provides is to calm her son when needed, move her son out of a situation which is agitating him - it actually herds him. It's really amazing. But, that said, due to her son's autism they would never go to a place like Disney as it would be far too be over stimulating for him. The dog goes to school with him, and when they leave the house, but they're pretty selective with where they go. In other words, his need for the dog is real, but that also means that he's unlikely to ever see the inside of an amusement park.

How is the dog trained to calm the boy? I know how emotional support dogs work, but I would love to know the training behind a service dog for that. It's great that the dog can sense when the boy is agitated and can move him away.

 

[aaarcher86]

How is the dog trained to calm the boy? I know how emotional support dogs work, but I would love to know the training behind a service dog for that. It's great that the dog can sense when the boy is agitated and can move him away.

I'm sure there's lots of ways. This one pulls at the persons arms and creates a distraction to stop her from continuing to hit herself.

 

[buffettgirl]

How is the dog trained to calm the boy? I know how emotional support dogs work, but I would love to know the training behind a service dog for that. It's great that the dog can sense when the boy is agitated and can move him away.

I have no idea. They got him through an organization that trains the dogs for people with autism. They didn't train him. Like I said, it sort of herds him away from what's bothering him. The dog somehow senses when the boy needs it. Not all dogs can do this sort of thing, just like not all dogs can be seeing eye dogs, or hearing dogs. This dog just happened to have the talent for doing this work. I think, if I remember, they had to go to a week long training camp with the dog.

 

[DisneyOma]

I'm sure there's lots of ways. This one pulls at the persons arms and creates a distraction to stop her from continuing to hit herself.

That was a controversial video when it came out - people claimed it was a set-up, but I thought it showed some good techniques to train for. Either way, the dog is definitely helpful when it tries to restrain the arms. I was just wondering about the 'calming' training, not the restraining. Calming is usually passive, so to be trained to do something for it would be a definite service dog thing.

 

[wilkeliza]

That was a controversial video when it came out - people claimed it was a set-up, but I thought it showed some good techniques to train for. Either way, the dog is definitely helpful when it tries to restrain the arms. I was just wondering about the 'calming' training, not the restraining. Calming is usually passive, so to be trained to do something for it would be a definite service dog thing.

Training a dog to be "calming" is not something you can do and is actually not considered a service. However, you can train a dog to heard a small child away from triggers. This can be seen as a service and is what the PP mentioned the dog is trained to do. The boy just happens to be calmed by his dog. Not all children with autism will find a dog calming so a service dog would not be beneficial.

A dog can also be trained to "calm" by being trained to provide the constraining feeling children and adults with ASD find comforting. So in this case the dog usually guides the person to sit or lay down and then puts their body across the person to add the pressure they find calming. For bigger kids a dog make put their front paws on the childs shoulders and put their weight on to the child. It takes a very well trained and in tune dog to be able to do that.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

The dog would need to be trained to perform a task to consider it a service dog. If the person requires only the dog's presence, it is a therapy or emotional support animal. A dog trained to steer a disabled person away from anxiety-causing situations would qualify as a service dog so long as the dog has been trained to actually DO something to assist its owner.

 

[mshanson3121]

A dog can also be trained to "calm" by being trained to provide the constraining feeling children and adults with ASD find comforting. So in this case the dog usually guides the person to sit or lay down and then puts their body across the person to add the pressure they find calming. For bigger kids a dog make put their front paws on the childs shoulders and put their weight on to the child. It takes a very well trained and in tune dog to be able to do that.

This is definitely something we were looking for, if we were to get a service dog, was the physical "calming", having the dog trained to "herd", to lay across and provide pressure, to force attention to itself in an effort to redirect etc...

 

[DG25]

I don't mean to say anyone here may not know, but from my experience and knowledge, you may want to check into places yourself because some of the information above does not ring true. I have a wealth of knowledge on guide dogs and handlers and training. So maybe I don't know enough about ASD service dogs, but from what I know and heard about from a school, very respectable school in NY, guiding eyes for the blind, train ASD dogs. They have very strict rules, there dogs are the best, since they are dogs that are bred for service to begin with but for whatever reason they do not make it thru to be guide dogs, they use to then become police dogs but in the last few years they started training ASD dogs.

First from all my knowledge and experience with these dogs, the handler is usually the mother or father, not the child. The mother or father hold the leash, the child is tethered around the waist.
1) since the child can not deminstaight the ability to be the handler, under ADA law and have the service dog in his/her control than the parent has the dog in his or her control.
2) unless the parent is willing to go to school with the dog each and everyday, these dogs do not usually go to school with the child since the child can not usually deminstaight the ability to be a handler.
3) yes these dogs are trained to not allow a child to bolt, usually by laying down not pulling on cloths. These dogs are train to initiate conversations, when they see the child is to shy to go up to a person an other kid in the park, the dog brings the child over, the dog starts by letting other kids pet it, and other kids then start the conversations, usually around the dog, then the dog starts to back off, lay down and let the kid take over. They are also trained to know when the child might be having a meltdown and need calming, they usually lay right up close to the child, or on top of the child if older, help to weight them down like those waist vest do. I have heard of them getting parents in the middle of the night if need be, and laying in bed with the child all night to help them sleep. But when out in public it is the parent who is the handler, never the child.
4) the parent goes to school to be trained, actually I believe both parents might commit to going to school to be trained, not just one, the child does not go to school to be trained since the child is not the handler.

As I say, I don't know everything about ASD service dogs but I would trust the school in NY to give you answers, after all they number one give the dogs and all training for free, just like they have for more than 50 years with guide dogs. The only real problem with them is you have to live within 200 miles of the school. But at least you can get information, before you spend any money on any other school, because I also know that here in Washington many people use a school, they pay 10,000, and half the time the dog can not do what the parents wanted or thought.

Google guiding eyes for the blind NY, then look thru there web site for autism service dogs, there staff if called will help you a lot.

PS when I say they have experience I am talking about also being able to train a dog to behave at all times, do everything the handler says at all times, but also when in danger to be able to ignore commands and do what needs to be done. It is amazing, just yesterday my mom was walking with her dog, she can to a light, listened and knew it was time, gave the dog the command forward, nothing, forward, nothing, scolded the dog and gave him the command forward, nothing. We were taught not to intervene, but finally I said, mom there is a hybrid in the middle of the intersection that is why the dog won't move, even when you scold her and tell her to. I am told that this school can do the same, there is a word for it but I can't remember, but with ASD dogs, mom can tell the dog it is okay for the child to go, but if not safe the dog will ignore mom and not let the child move. I heard of it once that a rattler snake was two feet away, another time when there was water behind the trees and the kid did not understand water safety so the dog ignored the mom and would not let the child free.