Messages posted by: nhmom

I have a nearly 7 year old son with PDD-NOS. I also looked into a therapy dog for my son. The expense and wait time were really discouraging. A friend of mine has a nephew with autism who did get a therapy dog, and they never bonded. In January, we rescued a yellow lab/golden retriever puppy. I was thrilled to find such a great mix of docile friendly family dog. I brought my son (with the permission of the dog trainer) to puppy school. Having an easliy distracted puppy and son in an area full of other easily distracted puppies was a bit challenging, but the end result was worth it. My son is not good with animals, tending to hit (and sometimes bite back) the dog out of frustration, but he has the core principles of dog communication and treatment and we remind him to use it. We've had pretty good success. It is a work in progress, for both puppy and son. The other positives to this; dogs bond more with the family members who go through puppy training with them. The other is, dog training and raising all children have the same basic principles. Short, simple, consistent commands are the most effective. Follow this by praise when indicated and correction when needed. When I say the phrase "Are you ready?" both dog and son know its time to listen.
I am considering furthering our dogs training (when she settles down a little with age) to become a certified therapy dog. There are some web sites out there that mark the requirements for this certification, and most dog trainers are great resources in helping with further training. Good luck to you!

The VERY good; My son's autsim (PDD-NOS specifically) was brought to light at about 3 1/2 years of age by his (private, NH does not fund preschool) preschool teacher. She had every right to toss him out of her school. Instead, she faced every behavior and meltdown he threw at her and taught him how to behave in a typical class setting. He was one of the lucky few to win dual placement for preschool and kindergarten. I can not say enough about early intervention, and an exceptional preschool teacher up for a challenge.
The good; My son's school has been very proactive always in keeping up with the latest in autism research, and applying what they learn to the curriculum. They are accommodating, and want him to succeed, and he has done well, as he enters the second grade.
The Bad. Summer school was held at the middle school, with a change of curriculum, and grades 2 and 3 totaled 22 kids in a summer school class. Add the fact that with all the snow days there was a week between the end of the school year, and summer school didn't help. I also help out the summer school program for about a week every summer, and my son did not want to be there without me. His disruptive, obstinate, and aggressive behaviors were coming out at home too. I removed him from summer school, and continued his alt. therapies (listening and horseback riding). His behavior is challenging, and his test scores reflect it. I know he will never get a 1:1, and finding creative and cost effective alternatives to that issue are challenging. I try to stay as involved as I can as a parent, with monthly meetings, and helping out in the school as much as my husband and I can.

Overall, I do have to say I think there is a lot more good than bad. Its a lot of work, educating myself, and asking a lot of questions. I am eternally grateful for this web site. Thank you!!