Service dogs teach students about autism
CLAYSVILLE – Barks and squeals echoed throughout the halls of Claysville Elementary School, as students learned about the importance of service dogs to people with disabilities, especially those with autism.
Perfect Fit Canines co-founder Jim Wagner held two presentations in early April for groups of students in grades one through five, which included a video, question-and-answer session and demonstration from service dog-in-training Piers and his handler Christina Hoffman. The presentations were a part of the district’s celebration of Autism Awareness Month. Autism is a developmental disorder that is often detected in early childhood.
The Pittsburgh-based program pairs specially trained service dogs with individuals with autism. The dogs undergo extensive training and socialization with the help of a puppy raiser during the first two years of their lives before being placed. Children and families are screened to ensure the perfect match.
Hoffman, a puppy raiser who is training Piers, a yellow Labrador retriever, said that working with the dogs is very rewarding.
“Giving him up will be bittersweet, but I want him to spread his wings and fly,” she said.
Wagner said the cost of the dog and training averages between $10,000 and $20,000, a cost that the family normally has to pay on their own.
“I have seen children who have not said one word talk. I’ve seen them become the big man on campus because they have a dog,” said Wagner, who runs the program with his wife, Susan. “There is a certain bond between kids and dogs that no one can explain. It’s a trust thing.”
While the dogs were a big hit with the students, they didn’t seem to distract them from taking away an important lesson.
“I learned how hard it is for kids with autism to do things that we do every day so easily,” Cameron Moore, a fifth-grader, said. “They have a much harder time than I thought.”
Natalie Papson, a fifth-grade teacher and member of the district’s autism committee, said Claysville is a full-inclusion school, where students of all abilities are included in the classroom.
“More awareness creates more acceptance,” Papson said. “My hope is that all children will be accepted. I work every day to make that a reality.”
Wagner agrees.
“Dogs break down barriers.”
For more information about Perfect Fit Canines, visit http://www.perfectfitcanines.org.