Pets and improvements!!! | Autism PDD
We got Rissa a kitty last month and its helped her with speech and tactile.
The day we brought him home she walked around saying "kitty Meow" I guess my pounding of animal sounds into her Via old mcdonald wasnt so bad...LOL
We've always had animals since before the boys were born. I'm a huge animal lover. Jake mostly ignored them all for the first few years. Recently, he would start getting annoyed if the dogs came near him or the cats brushed past him. Now, over the last six months or more, he's really begun playing with them. He often wants the dogs to stay in his room with him, or will chase Gracie (jack russell pug/mix). He doesn't interact with them a ton, but it has definately increased from before. Now my other son, Mikey, thinks its hilarious to chase the cats around and is alwyas saying "kitty kitty". He likes to play with the dogs, too and will even throw their ball for them to catch. The only thing with him is that sometimes he get's a little rough with them, and I have to step in. He also likes to "ride" Oscar (german shepard mix) and I have to get him off his back and tell him he's not a horsey!
I can't say whether any of the animals helped Jake improve in any way -since they were just always there. Having Mikey certainly forced Jake to participate with us a little more. Jake is often annoyed with him, and gets angry at him, but Mikey has taught Jake a lot and he's always in his face, so its harder for Jake to pull back into himself. I think his biggest improvements came once Mikey got old enough to interact with him.My daughters speech has improved this summer. We got 2 snow Shoes in the late Spring. I wonder if the kitties are helping?
Our SCHOOL actually has a therapy dog, for reluctant or anxious readers! I think the national program is called reading with rover if you wish to google it.
So yes, it is also formally recoginized that the right dog (OR CAT! Gotta put a word in for my buddies!) can definitely bring out a LOT in your child!
[QUOTE=amberwaves]My daughters speech has improved this summer. We got 2 snow Shoes in the late Spring. I wonder if the kitties are helping?
ARE THEY NOT THE MOST WONDERFUL CATS??? I absolutely adore my Lord Chewy kitty! So gentle and sweet-natured.
Actually, one of Tuhina's earliest signs of ASD was how she treated my CAT. While people were clearly people and she made eye contact and related to us, the cat was an object, plain and simple. I wondered at the time, but now know from observing other kids at that age, it WAS abnormal! (Not that I suggest a "cat" TOM screening test ... LOL).
I think that getting a puppy would be a great idea. I would just investigate
the breed. Another little boy I know who has ASD absolutely loves his King
Charles Spaniel.
My sister has a Labrador in her house(it's name is Spy).... and those of you who are familiar with this particular breed, you will know how playful they can be.
Anyway, my boys BOTH LOVE the dogs... In fact Daniel can CONVERSE with the dog, stringing together sentences that you can never imagine!!! Eg: "Come on Spy... go outside", "Don't come in, it'll get messy", "Sit down Spy", "Are you hungry? Eat some biscuits" etc
Our present house is not conducive for a pet... but eventually when we shift to a new place... it would be something we will seriously consider.
Pets and Improvements!!! DEFINITELY A YES !!! We have tons of fish and 2 cats will probably be getting a dog around christmas. So far it has been great for my boys. They help feed them and take care of them. Our boy cat seems to be okay with them and doesn't mind when they pick him up and chase him. They are doing really well with petting and helping to take care of them but haven't seen much in way of language help. We had both a cat and a dog..Sarah never paid attention to them at all till her language came in and then she slowly became aware of them. She is crazy about kitties:) Our shihztu doesnt play much..lap dog:) She would love a puppy at her age now to chase her and play with her:) I would have to get rid of dh as he barely tolerates animals. I think pets are wonderful..unconditional love:)We have a 7 month old Bichon Frise and a 3 month old Black German Shepherd and they both make Payne pay attention to them, talk to them, gesture...tug of war....put away toys...pee in the potty (they like to try to see his stream - I know TMI)
My son's dogs are wonderful for him. When he was younger, the border collie could be counted on to be by his side at all times. They are great together. He also has an iguana which he used to enjoy just watching. It was great for him when he was stimming. He would calm right down if he could lay on the floor next to the cage and watch the iguana.
Pets also teach them responsibility and that other creatures have feelings. Hopefully you will be able to cope as a person with a phoabia. I would suggest fostering. It is temporary and if you like it you can keep it. They are not all problem dogs and the agencies will work with you to find the right pet.
Fostering is a GREAT idea! Then you know the individual animal not just breed characteristics!We just adapted a yellow lab/golden retreiver mixed. At first my son was scared of her and would run up me to pick him up. At first any time the dog went around him we made her back off till he got more adjusted to the dog being around. I would cuddled with my son and have the dog join us cuddleing on the couch to show him she is one of the family. I held his hand to pet her and she would lick him. Now he LOVES her. We have had her for 2 1/2 months now. He was stimming yesterday by being under several blankets, when he seen the dog went past him he stopped immediately to get up to pet the dog. He had the biggest smile on his face and of course the dog enjoyed it to. Dixie(the dog) chases him around the house playing and Tyler giggles beyond belief. He shows so much affection and starts some of the interaction with the dog. It was a good decision to add her to our family. Lalloo, I was never a Dog person until one day when my crazy, loving,loyal retriever mix came into my life. Now, I'm a sworn dog-lover!
I agree, though, a puppy might not be the best place to start. Neither for
your child nor for the Pet-phobic. Puppies require a ton of patience and
work and can be quite um, spazzy sometimes.
My son is just starting to have a relationship with our dog after 4 years of
largely ignoring her, or yelling that she was in his way. But, it is sweet to
see him now wanting to buy her treats, petting her gently, and making up
"hand signals" to communicate with her (she's gone deaf in her old age)
I think fostering is the best idea, as you can get used to the idea of a dog
in your home, see how your kiddo responds to the dog, and hopefully
find a good match for you and your family.
Dogs require grooming, walking, and pet-sitting or boarding if you leave
town. They are a big responsibility, but truly can become a member of
your family and bring lots of love and joy to your life. I know that a lot of places would love to have you guys foster especially if they are going to be service dogs - they have to be exposed to EVERYTHING... we take "Tiny" our shepherd all over the place to get him used to smells, people, places, cars, etc. He is being trained to be Payne's service dog. He is only 3 months old, but he is completely potty trained, crate trained - goes to bed on command, sits, shakes and comes to his name with both verbal and signed commands. We're working on staying, down and off. I got a little dachshund/chihuahua mix puppy that I rescued from the brink of death. She was found in the middle of the road, starving to the point that you could literally see every bone in her body. I nursed her back to health and have seen a HUGE difference in Skylar. He is always loving on her and saying "oh Lily, I love you sooo much" and will kiss her on the head. At first I was only going to keep her long enough to get her well and then adopt her off, but in the mean time we all fell in love with her, and especially Skylar loving her the way he does, I couldnt bare to get rid of her. She is the most loveable animal i have ever seen and is very gentle with the kids. (not that she has much of a choice, she only weighs less than 5 lbs. )
And another plus to the story, I have only heard her bark once!! Gotta love that!!
I would think ANY pet would be helpful ... but particularly one in which tactile, nonverbal communication is important.
However, it depends on the developmental age of your child and the breed of dog and its training ... you would not want a puppy so young as to not defend itself effective, should your DS (like mine would) become too rough in play. Nor of course a breed that might anger and have poor self-control ...
We just opted for adult cats (with a single exception), for this reason. It is working well. But I would approach the idea VERY cautiously, perhaps with the input of a good behaviorist vet regarding breed and age choice, and a psych?
IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT A DOG , I WOULD SUGGEST A BEAGLE. WE HAD ONE NAMED SARA WHEN MY KIDS WERE LITTLE. THEY ARE GREAT WITH KIDS,THEY LOVE TO PLAY EVEN WHEN THEY GET OLD, THEY ARE VERY LOVING, AND HEARTY.
YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH A SNOOPY
One thing to give you a heads up on was once we got Mojo, Mason got very used to his behavior and we had some problems with him thinking he could play and approach all dogs the same way. So we had to make him some dog safety cards and really work on his animal safety...it is getting better, but we still have some areas that need improvement!
Good luck and I hope you find the right puppy! We actually have a pit bull/lab mix 2 year old we got from the pound when he was 3 months. My son loves this dog and the dog loves him too and they are inseperable. My son actually calls "rambo" his best friend which is great for him because he doesnt have any friends at all :( I wouldnt recommend anyone just getting a dog from the pound especially because they dont know anything about dogs history or getting any breed some are very more rumbunxious than others and prone to different streaks but in our case it worked out great. We couldnt have gotten a better dog for our family no matter what everyone tries to tell us about his breed.We have three dogs, one is a Pit Bull, the other two are Pit Bull mixes.
The dogs are fabulous with and for not just Donny, but our two special-
needs foster children too. We also used to have a cat, which Don LOVED.
He's really more a cat person than a dog person, although he does have a
great bond with our little Pit Bull.
I would suggest, if you're getting a dog, make a list of traits that are most
important to you (think size, energy level, long hair/short hair, level of
training, good with other animals, independent or clingy, etc.). Then start
searching on Petfinder.com. Look at adults or young adults (generally
already housebroken and have some basic training, and adult
temperament and size is known). Rescues are a great way to get a dog -
the dogs are usually home fostered, and the rescue folks know a lot
about the dog, can answer all your questions. Most reputable rescues
offer a lot of post-adoption support and advice, and will take the dog
back if it's not working out. The price is also right - you get a dog who's
already fixed and vaccinated for in the neighborhood of 0 on average.
(I run a Pit Bull rescue, and am active in the rescue community, so I speak
from experience). As someone mentioned, if you're on the fence about a
pet, fostering is a great way to start. The rescue will match you up with a
dog that suits your home, just as they would if you were adopting. It has
the advantage of not being permanent, and also helping out an animal in
need.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
We have an adult cat, and I do think he helps Daniel a lot. We got him in the start of this year, and he has just flourished in our house. Daniel loves him!
The cat is fast enough to get away from Daniel if need be, and small enough to jump on top of certian places if he wants to be left alone. For the most part though, the cat will lay there while ds pets him, hugs him, and carrys him around. The cat will even purr while ds is "loving" him, lol.
I think having Jasper in our home has been very thereputic for all of my family members. It is like my cat knows when someone is upset, and will go over and lay his paw on your cheek or head. He is really a great pet. I wish we hadn't waited to long to get one
I don't have any kinds of pet phobias though... I don't know if that would be a good idea, just because the bad might end up outweighing the good, if it is going to effect mom badly.
I noticed someone had mentioned Beagles as being a good dog for your child. Are there any other smaller dogs that one might recommend? We are contemplating getting a dog for our 6.5 year old girl. She does not have any siblings. She is around other children at church and other areas. We are wondering if it might help her some while at home.
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