These Rescue Dogs Are Trained to Find Children with Autism
Children with autism are much likelier to wander than other children
It has been found that children with autism are 4x more likely to wander away than other children are, due to overstimulation, eloping behavior or sensory stimuli. This can be a stressful time for both the parents and the child. Therefore, through regular trainings with the SCSARDA, the team members hope to introduce familiarity. According to officials at the SCSARDA, by learning how to search in high-risk situations, the dogs can better understand how to react to a child who is frightened, anxious or overstimulated once found, as well as how to keep them calm. Moreover, it teaches the child how to respond when approached by one of the dogs and unaware of what is happening. “As a parent of a child that’s on the spectrum, you worry about a lot of things and to be able to know that there are resources for children that may elope and that the dogs are ready and we can do these types of things, to help bring kids back home again, that’s by far the biggest thing,” said Mike Rowley, CEO of Springbrook Autism Behavioral Health.