Autism Service Dog Training

Birmingham, Alabama

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​Service dogs for autistic children can be a great relief for parents who need help managing their child's behavior. Autism service dogs can be taught numerous tasks, which can include: 

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• Blocking: an intervention whereby the dog interrupts the child's pathway to block them from opening doors, grabbing items, etc. ​This can be of great use to multi-tasking parents.​​

• Alert: signal to a parent when something is wrong, such as a child walking into the road.​

• Deep Pressure: recognize anxiety and give deep pressure during sensory processing difficulties. This proprioceptive tool helps to re-establish a sense spatial awareness and grounding. It is equivalent to a warm, cozy weighted blanket. ​

• Grounding: through touch, the dog serves as a stable platform and presence that the child can pet or hold. Some children can benefit greatly from this tactile experience while in difficult situations. 

• Panic attack, meltdowns, & anxiety: recognize these conditions and engage the child to interrupt these behaviors. Pressure, blocking hands, licking, or other interventions can be used.

• Other benefits can include enhanced social engagement and language skill development. 

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If you do not see your needed task listed here, please inquire and we would love to discuss building a customized training plan for you.