Why an In-Home Companion dog for a child with Autism?
Kristy, Zachary’s mother, explains why they chose an In-Home Companion Dog rather than an Autism Service Dog: Zachary is going to be seven in March 2010. He is diagnosed with Atypical Autism, Anxiety Disorder, and ADHD. The reason we decided on an In-Home Companion Dog as opposed to a full public access dog is that Zachary doesn’t need that level of support in public. Yes, there are times when we do need to accommodate Zachary differently than a typically developing child. However, Zachary is very well behaved while we’re out in the community. He does not run, hide, or wander. Zachary would never need to be tethered. Although he’s got a language delay, he is verbal. He always holds our hands even if we don’t ask…he knows the drill!! If my daughter is in her stroller, Zachary knows to hold onto the side of the stroller near my hand. My husband is at work all day, which means I do everything during the day by myself with both kids. We visit the zoo, the little beach/lake by our house,
