# Autism Service Dog Tasks



## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

I am seriously considering training a "next" dog to be an Autism Service Dog for a child. So I'm trying to sort out some things and would appreciate any input.

The primary function of an Autism Service Dog is safety, with additional benefits for reducing aggression, repetitive behaviors and improving verbal skills.

I'm thinking of a task list that may look something like this:

Alert bark
Night awakening
Child getting out of bed
Child at exit door, window
Upon finding lost child
Search and Rescue
Tracking, hard surfaces, wilderness
Alert bark upon find
Circle child upon find
Retrieve child to parent when applicable
Nose Nudge “Alert”
Behavior disruption
Lay Quietly with Child
Mood swings
Upon sign of “angry” “scared” “hug”
Obedience
Heel with parent, tether child to dog
Emphasis on Stay
Under chair (essential if dog accompanies child to school)
Regular OB
Additional
Lick on hand sign for “kiss”
Lay head on child for hand sign “hug”
Read note cards with basic cues if child is not able to sign

I'm thinking this would take place as a 1 year of training, assuming the pup is suited for it. If the dog selected is of a notorious slow-to-mature breed or bloodline, it might be a 2 year thing.

Dog selection: I'll have to choose a more independent pup than what I have picked in the past for a performance dog. I'm thinking 18" - 22" tall, 35 - 80#, short hair. 

Tracking is not one of my strong areas and my experience is only for SchH tracking, so I'm wondering how to approach puppy foundation for tracking differently. I'm wondering if a child could be tracked in a supermarket setting? Considering the smooth, hard floors and the rate of ventilation?

Any thoughts?


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## paige hanson (Feb 7, 2009)

Check out http://www.projectchance.com


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Anne, SchH tracking is a good foundation for all tracking. For what you want it would be developed into scent specific training. Find "so and so" would be it's only goal. 
Inside a building, any building, is a completely different animal because of all the artificial air currents, rooms, corners, cealings, different floors, etc. 
David and other PSD trainers could offer more thought on this.


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

One of those "dogs attracted to the handler". Wouldn't have far to track when tethered to the child anyway, I suppose. GPS bracelet? I don't know, forgive my ignorance, I'm just a little perplexed.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I like the idea of a GPS bracelet. 
I'm just old and didn't give a thought to such new fangled thigamajig. ;-) 
I have a niece with CP and Autism. Luckily she's not a wanderer.
Her 4 month old Aussie pup already responds to "Where's Samantha" . (in the house or yard)


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

I think having the autistic child present _while training_ such a service dog, would be most beneficial. Or, is that obvious, and how it's done anyway? I know they're usually fostered out and with _some training_ beforehand, but is _all training_ done prior?


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Daryl Ehret said:


> I think having the autistic child present _while training_ such a service dog, would be most beneficial. Or, is that obvious, and how it's done anyway? I know they're usually fostered out and with _some training_ beforehand, but is _all training_ done prior?


I do some/most training before placing the dog. I don't do "all" of the training. I'm of the opinion that the dog and handler need to learn to work together.

I found an SAR group that I'm going to visit with in spring. I'm really deficient in scenting training. I'm also playing with the idea of a peanut butter detection dog. ...

Bob - would SchH tracking be a foundation for air scenting?

But until then, it looks like there are 2 or 3 mobility SD's to work on.


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## todd pavlus (Apr 30, 2008)

That gps bracelet would also be good for altheimer's patiants. MY grandfather had it pretty bad. He used to carry a note in his pocket so if he got lost, he could be returned to his house quickly


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## Terry Devine (Mar 11, 2008)

I am a Physical Education teacher and work with Autistic students. I think that the bracelets are a good idea but you cannot be positive that the child will not be able to remove it or disable it. Although they have developmental difficulties they can be the most determined kids you have ever seen. When they come to my class (outdoors) we spend a great deal of time chasing them down and bringing them back. Some of them time their escape and wait until we are distracted with another student. Anne your list looks good so far. I will ask the Autistic teachers at my school if they have any suggestions. The thing that would help most with the kids we have here are the emotional outbursts. They can get extremely agitated and violent.
there would probably need to be some training for school personnel if the dog accompanies the child to school. And I am not sure how the school would respond if a child in the class had a legit phobia or alergy.

Good Luck I think it is a GREAT idea.

Terry


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Terry Devine said:


> I am a Physical Education teacher and work with Autistic students. I think that the bracelets are a good idea but you cannot be positive that the child will not be able to remove it or disable it. Although they have developmental difficulties they can be the most determined kids you have ever seen. When they come to my class (outdoors) we spend a great deal of time chasing them down and bringing them back. Some of them time their escape and wait until we are distracted with another student. Anne your list looks good so far. I will ask the Autistic teachers at my school if they have any suggestions. The thing that would help most with the kids we have here are the emotional outbursts. They can get extremely agitated and violent.
> there would probably need to be some training for school personnel if the dog accompanies the child to school. And I am not sure how the school would respond if a child in the class had a legit phobia or alergy.
> 
> Good Luck I think it is a GREAT idea.
> ...



Under ADA, fear/phobia or allergy is not a reason to refuse access to a service dog. However, a Service Dog is school is more complicated, and usually not feasible in younger ages from what I understand.

I've read case studies in which teachers stated that simply the presence of the dog greatly reduced emotional outbursts. These teachers were happy with having the dog at school.

I'm more interested in cases where it DIDN'T work out and the reasons why.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

todd pavlus said:


> That gps bracelet would also be good for altheimer's patiants. MY grandfather had it pretty bad. He used to carry a note in his pocket so if he got lost, he could be returned to his house quickly


OT - I was told by a SAR handler that dogs have difficulty tracking people with Alzheimers. Can anyone verify that?


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## Julie Argo (Feb 22, 2009)

I have a friend that has two boys that have Autism. They are in wheel chairs for their own protection as well as other people's safety. I would like to get some more info. on this service, and how much would a dog cost?
Thanks Julie


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Julie Argo said:


> I have a friend that has two boys that have Autism. They are in wheel chairs for their own protection as well as other people's safety. I would like to get some more info. on this service, and how much would a dog cost?
> Thanks Julie


Purchasing a Service Dog can range from $12,000 - $40,000. Some programs have scholarships.

I work with handler-trained dog teams. I assist the owner select a candidate. The owner purchases the dog and trains the dog with my help in private lessons.

I also place "green" service dogs that have met their training and testing requirements, but will need further training in their new homes. These dogs are in the $12,000 range. It's an enormous investment of time and money, with plenty of risk involved.


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## Sue DiCero (Sep 2, 2006)

Is there a certification/validation for this type of trainers? 

The only reason I ask is that a lot of trainers stating they do this have popped up recently.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Quote: They are in wheel chairs for their own protection as well as other people's safety.

What about the dogs safety??? I think that before I did any of this I would talk to someone that has dealt with the Autistic, way before I would make up lists and be asking dog people about this.

There is so much more to be discussed about the individual person before any training would be of much use.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Sue DiCero said:


> Is there a certification/validation for this type of trainers?
> 
> The only reason I ask is that a lot of trainers stating they do this have popped up recently.


Sue, there is no certification or validation for service dog trainers. Some of the national organizations have their own schools for their own trainers. 

Scary huh! Especially when you're thinking about guide/seeing eye dogs!


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## Julie Argo (Feb 22, 2009)

Would insurance cover the cost of the dog? This woman has to stay at home with her two boys and her husband works on a farm. hey don't have much money and what little bit they do have go toward the kids meds. See both boys also suffer from seizures also. the oldest boy has a degenerative disease that is slowly killing his brain. Would this make any difference on obtaining a dog? Also would one dog work for both boys or would she need two?


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## Julie Argo (Feb 22, 2009)

Jeff, they suffer from seizures and being in the chairs keeps people safe from them flailing. They are prone to outburst but have been raised around dogs and would never hurt the dog. Just because a child can be violent to a stranger doesn't mean they will be violent towards a dog. These dogs could get them to open up and could also have a calming effect on the child.


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## Meena Moitra (Jul 11, 2008)

I know absolutely nothing about autism or training.
Having said that, when I see programs about autism on TV, I often think a dog would really be great for the autistic person, just an intuitive response. And as my breed is the Airedale, I vote for them. Versatile and stable and independent thinkers. Will follow this discussion and hope this seed takes off!


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Meena Moitra said:


> I know absolutely nothing about autism or training.
> Having said that, when I see programs about autism on TV, I often think a dog would really be great for the autistic person, just an intuitive response. And as my breed is the Airedale, I vote for them. Versatile and stable and independent thinkers. Will follow this discussion and hope this seed takes off!


I have considered Airedales.  however, I look at the breed only as a way to narrow down the search to size and coat requirements. The actual choice of the dog is all on temperament.

I have beem looking for a mobility service dog for a client. I started off looking at labs, but I think the dog is going to be a shepherd mix. I'll test the dog next weekend.

At the moment, I'm leaning towards testing APBT's for for autism service dog candidates. The main reasons are for high pain tolerance and short coat. After that, it comes down to looking at profiles of hundreds of dogs, contacting breeders and rescues to narrow it down to a dog who is actually suited for the work.

Julie, you would have to check into whether or not insurance would cover the cost of the dog. Some insurance companies might under some circumstances, but I'm not too optimistic about that possibility. I understand there are some agencies that help families in need to get a service dog. Some national training organizations charge a very low fee (like $100), but the handler has to go and stay at the training school for 2 weeks for handler training.

The place to start is with the primary physician, who will need to write a letter of recommendation or a perscription for a service dog. I don't know how most schools would react to training a dog for 2 people, and I doubt that a family could maintain training for 2 service dogs for 2 people.


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## Rebecca Santana (May 16, 2007)

Oh what a great thread!

In the last year my daughter was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum and after quite an ordeal I decided to train her an assistance dog. I can tell you that it works more than medication, OT and any other therapies that exist today. While I started working with my favorite overall breed of the belgian malinois, I went with a smaller rescue dog (chixdach), this was only because of size and much harder to train. I have never seen the dog fail my daughter in crisis situations. I have considered lately donating my time and rescuing, training dogs to help other kids in my community, but the needs vary and I might only work on a case by case basis. Anne what your doing is a miracle to those parents struggling on a day to day basis. I'd love to hear about what breed you choose and why. If you have any questions about my experiences or others I know in dealing with Autism or SAR air scenting I'd be more than happy to share.


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## paige hanson (Feb 7, 2009)

I think a lot of people are showing up as training service dogs for autistic children is because most are simply training dogs to heel, have the parent walk the dog and the child harnessed to the dog. The dog tends to take the abuse, ie hitting instead of the parent. Also, it is said that the child cant run off with the dog attached and finally the child bonds with the dog and therefore can go out in public with the dog as the child's attention will be on the dog not on the public preventing a 'freak out'. 
I very much like the task listed in this thread. I think that is what makes the dog a service dog vs an emotional support dog.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

paige hanson said:


> I think a lot of people are showing up as training service dogs for autistic children is because most are simply training dogs to heel, have the parent walk the dog and the child harnessed to the dog. The dog tends to take the abuse, ie hitting instead of the parent. Also, it is said that the child cant run off with the dog attached and finally the child bonds with the dog and therefore can go out in public with the dog as the child's attention will be on the dog not on the public preventing a 'freak out'.
> I very much like the task listed in this thread. I think that is what makes the dog a service dog vs an emotional support dog.


That's also why I'm having a hard time on this. I havn't met a "service dog" for an autistic child that is more than an emotional support dog. There is one organization that does SAR tracking with the dog, which is awesome, but I'm not sure that would hold up in court as a service dog if there was an access challenge.


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## Meena Moitra (Jul 11, 2008)

Anne, read an article about autistic people who view themselves more
Different than sick, as it were. Point is have you talked with functioning autistic adults about service dogs? Article was on www.salon.com - just an idea. I do think that whatever is going on with the autistic person and that person's difficulties relating to other people, a dog can offer relief and in a service capcity, a behavioral conduit as it were. (Go Airedales!)


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Anne Vaini said:


> OT - I was told by a SAR handler that dogs have difficulty tracking people with Alzheimers. Can anyone verify that?


WTF? Is this person on the forum? I need to be enlightened. True an alzheimers quarry may be afraid of dogs and try to "hide" from SAR team (so could other types of victims), but this shouldn't be an issue for a dog that can move faster than a person and has a trained alert? 

Granted I don't track with my dog, but I just don't quite get this.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Jennifer Coulter said:


> WTF? Is this person on the forum? I need to be enlightened. True an alzheimers quarry may be afraid of dogs and try to "hide" from SAR team (so could other types of victims), but this shouldn't be an issue for a dog that can move faster than a person and has a trained alert?
> 
> Granted I don't track with my dog, but I just don't quite get this.


It was a bloodhound handler.  Not someone on the forum. He got the "info" from his TD. He trains with a PD, I think he is the only SAR handler in the group and he goes down to GA for seminars, etc. :shrug: I questioned it too!


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Meena Moitra said:


> Anne, read an article about autistic people who view themselves more
> Different than sick, as it were. Point is have you talked with functioning autistic adults about service dogs? Article was on http://www.workingdogforum.com/vBulletin/www.salon.com - just an idea. I do think that whatever is going on with the autistic person and that person's difficulties relating to other people, a dog can offer relief and in a service capcity, a behavioral conduit as it were. (Go Airedales!)


Meena, "offering relief" is not a physical task, and does not fall into the legal definition of a service dog.

A dog can be trained specific behaviors (physical tasks) that mitigate the disability and offer relief, and that would count as a service dog.


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## Rebecca Santana (May 16, 2007)

Ok so I was promted to research the difference between an emotional support dog and psychiatric service dog. It's pretty confusing really. The kids I see range from extremely disabled to high functioning and you would have no idea they had any issues until they go into an episode or refuse to leave the house. So the needs of the dogs tasks range to meet the needs of the child/parent? Anne if a person gets a letter/form filled out from their doctor does that help with what the dog can be labeled? Thanks for inspiring to do learn more!


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Rebecca Hobley said:


> Ok so I was promted to research the difference between an emotional support dog and psychiatric service dog. It's pretty confusing really. The kids I see range from extremely disabled to high functioning and you would have no idea they had any issues until they go into an episode or refuse to leave the house. So the needs of the dogs tasks range to meet the needs of the child/parent? Anne if a person gets a letter/form filled out from their doctor does that help with what the dog can be labeled? Thanks for inspiring to do learn more!


A person does need a letter or prescription from his/her primary physician before beginning service dog training, or before acquiring a service dog. This is NOT a subsitute for training the dog actual tasks.

It's actually very simple:

1. Handler must be disabled and be able to prove the disability in court, should an access challenge ever arrise.
2. The dog must perform 3 trained, physical tasks that mitigate the handler's disability. Natural behaviors don't count, even though they can certainly beneficial. (A natural behavior that the dog performs can be reinforced, or trained, to make it fit under this requirement.)
3. Alerts, especially when training for psychiatric service dogs, must be "obnoxious", on cue and with a duration of 30 seconds or more. A dog comfort licking is not going to be considered an alert. 

An emotional support dog is a pet form which the owner gets comfort. Emotional support dogs aren't service dogs and do not have public access rights.

Psychiatric service dogs are trained 3 or more physical tasks to assist a handlers pyschiatric disability. Mental illnesses have physical effects on the body that can include pain, repeated vomiting, stiffness (loss of mobility), body chills, tremors, loss of cognition, difficulty balancing or walking... So the task list for a psychiatric service dog addresses the physical symptoms, and tasks to prevent them.

Here are a few ideas for tasks:

Delivering "I'm OK" or "Please call for help" messages if a handler would lose cognition in a public place. 
Leading a confused handler home.
Leading handler away from people.
Alerting to a change in state of mind.
Retreive / deliver medication (keeping a schedule is a #1 problem for many people with this type of disability)
Lead handler to bed / retrieve blanket to cover handler and/or lay on handler.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

*Deaf Dogs*

Anyone ever use a dog for the deaf? I had a deaf Border Collie that I gave to a deaf girl to train. What things do they look for in the dog or breed?


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

*Re: Deaf Dogs*



Howard Gaines III said:


> Anyone ever use a dog for the deaf? I had a deaf Border Collie that I gave to a deaf girl to train. What things do they look for in the dog or breed?


I am looking for a candidate for this right now. I'm looking a dog with solid temperament, a little independent, food motivated.

An alert behavior is trained (nose nudge), and various stimulus are imprinted as cues (phone ring, door knocking, alarm, smoke detector, etc) and trained with repetition to classically condition the response.

This can be built on. For instance, the dog can retrieve a ringing phone rather than only alert the handler that it is ringing.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

*Re: Deaf Dogs*



Howard Gaines III said:


> Anyone ever use a dog for the deaf? ... What things do they look for in the dog or breed?


I've trained, but not used.

Anne has covered the desirable traits and has much more knowledge of the rules and regs than I do.

You probably know that Goldens and Labs are the the most common (by far, in my experience) for almost all service dog work. I did notice last year with a group of seizure-alert dogs (whose talent and, of course, displaying it) that this particular group was a motley crew indeed. Age, sex, breed -- I saw no commonality at all among the group. If they sense AND ALERT FOR seizures, I gather that you take what you get. 

Who knows how many zillions of other dogs do sense impending seizures but don't care to mention it.



e.t.a. Food motivation, as Anne mentioned, is such a wonderful thing! :lol:


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## Francis Metcalf (Oct 10, 2009)

Heres a short video of a Hearing Dog I trained. I trained them professionally for 3 years at the SF SPCA. Eventually I am going to do some videos on how to train them for my youtube channel, Masterofhounds. This dog is now a demo dog for another Hearing Dog program. He was too good to place! 

http://www.youtube.com/user/masterofhounds#p/u/6/xOD3Op9mcHU


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

I forgot about this thread. I just wanted to update: At this point, my waiting list for mobility and psychiatrirc service dogs is approaching 10 years (  ) so without a miracle, I won't get a chance to play around with an autism service dog. Fun to think about though!


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