Proud Sponsor of National Service Dogs

May 31, 2010 Tuesday

National Service Dogs

Screenco is a proud sponsor of National Service Dogs, an organization that pairs service dogs with autistic children and their families.

Children with autism often appear to be no different than other children in our community, but in reality they face challenges most of us cannot begin to fully appreciate.  Frequently these children are non verbal, living in a world of social isolation that is difficult to break through.  Many children under the age of 10 are a flight risk and have little or no impulse control and no sense of personal safety.  This tendency to wander or bolt away from their homes and families puts them at risk of injury and in some cases even death.  The potential for these types of incidences terrify parents.

Many of National Service Dogs’ graduates came to us after their children experienced a life threatening situation, whether it was escaping the house and getting hit by a car or wandering into the lake for an unscheduled swim.  Others seek NSD out in the hopes of protecting their children from ever going through a life threatening ordeal.

National Service Dogs provides specially trained Labrador and golden retrievers to help children and families navigate through the world of autism.

National Service Dogs (NSD) has proven that properly trained and certified autism service dogs can:

• increase safety levels and alleviate the bolting behaviours common in children with autism by acting as an anchor when tethered to the child
• improve a child’s socialization and behavior skills by breaking through social barriers and opening the door to communication
• create freedoms for the child and family members to go out of the house safely and confidently
• expand a child’s capabilities to experience more of life and to grow
• suppress behavioural outbursts in children, giving them an increased attention span and a greater aptitude for learning

For more information please visit www.nsd.on.ca