“CJ started regressing right at 18 months. Before then he had colors, he had shapes, he was up running and walking and then screeched and he stopped talking, and he is an eloper. But when Gus started finding his boy, everything inside me bubbled over because I knew that we would be able to find them.”
-CJ & Gus, 4 Paws Service Dog Team
April is annually recognized as Autism Awareness Month which is kicked off with Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd. 4 Paws for Ability is proud to enrich the lives of our families living with autism through our life-changing and uniquely skilled service dogs.
When you support 4 Paws for Ability, you’re supporting every step of the process that our service dogs go through on their path to being placed.
For our service dogs, their training can include a variety of tasks such as tethering, to ensure children who elope stay connected and stay nearby to their families while out in public. Our dogs can also be trained for the emergency moments when a child elopes. Through thorough scent-tracking training, our dogs have safely found and reunited countless families with their children.
4 Paws service dogs also assist children living on the spectrum through behavior disruption. From major meltdowns to hidden anxious behaviors, our dogs are trained in tasks such as an over, a nuzzle, and licking to take the most overwhelming situations and turn them into a positive moment.
To celebrate Autism Awareness Month, there are a few ways you can show your support:
If you are a family looking for support or a brighter future with a 4 Paws service dog, we hope you click one of the links below to see if we can help!