NEADS Social Dog Program for Children Ages 8 to 12
For children with autism or other developmental disabilities, a NEADS Service Dog can make all the difference. NEADS Service Dogs are trained in a variety of tasks that can address a range of symptoms, behaviors, and issues caused by a child's autism. This task work can help address a child's socialization skills, behavioral skills, life skills, and fine and gross motor skills. (Note that the task work is not designed for a child who has a major psychiatric diagnosis (including PTSD) or history of trauma.)
NEADS Service Dogs for Children with Autism are selected for their special chemistry with children. All NEADS Service Dogs are gentle, tolerant and well trained, but each has its own personality that can be matched with an appropriate child. Some children may benefit from a dog that seeks out attention and elicits play. Other children may require a quiet, somewhat reserved dog to make them feel more comfortable. The type of dog that best suits a child's needs is determined during the interview process.
Because of this highly personalized matching process, we require all applicants (child and a parent or family member) to come to our NEADS campus in Princeton, MA for an in-person evaluation and in-take interview. If you are more than 3 hours from the NEADS campus, we can begin the process with a Zoom interview.
How is a Service Dog different from a family pet?
A Service Dog is not a family pet. The presence of a family pet provides comfort, while a Service Dog provides specific task work to address the symptoms of autism or other developmental disabilities.
Here are some key differences:
- Task training – Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a Service Dog must perform a task specific to a person’s disability. Tasks for a Service Dog for a child with autism or other developmental disabilities can include Visit, Lap, Nudge, and Speak.
- Public access – The team (parent/child/Service Dog) has public access according to the ADA. This means the team is allowed entry to public places, including restaurants, grocery stores, and other places a family may go.
- Consistency and reliability - Behavioral training and socialization provides assurance that the dog will behave consistently and reliably at home and in public.
- Teaching tool – The Service Dog provides a focus for the parent as they build specific skills in the child. A parent or guardian (also known as a facilitator) accompanies the child and dog at all times and is ultimately responsible for the well-being of the dog and the success of the team.
What Does "Task Trained" Mean?
One of the hallmarks of a well-trained Service Dog is that it consistently and reliably performs the tasks for which it’s been trained. For children with autism or other developmental disabilities, tasks can include:
Tasks and Commands - a Demonstration
How can a Service Dog help a child with autism or other developmental disabilities?
If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.
Dr. Stephen Shore
When is a NEADS Service Dog right...
... for you and your child with autism or other developmental disabilities
For families with children with autism or other developmental disabilities, the quote from Dr. Stephen Shore rings true: “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.”
Just as every child with autism is unique, so is every Service Dog program. To that end, NEADS asks that you consider the following before you proceed. If you decide to apply, there will be a series of pre-qualifying questions to help determine if a NEADS Service Dog may be right for you and your child.
COVID-19 UPDATE/APPLICATION PROCESS
Thank you for your interest in applying for a NEADS Service Dog for a Child with Autism.
We do not anticipate opening applications in the near future.
Covid-19 continues to impact, industry-wide, the number of available Service Dogs. Through our young but growing breeding program, NEADS is working on increasing the number of available dogs for NEADS clients, but the training and evaluation of our puppies as they mature into Service Dogs takes time. As we make progress matching our dogs with clients who have already been accepted, NEADS will re-open applications.
Once applications do open, the average waiting period for a NEADS Service Dog could be 1 to 4 years after application, interview, and acceptance into the program. You may want to research other programs through Assistance Dogs International.
Please check back on our website for information about when NEADS is reopening applications.