Dogs for the Disabled is seeking to define specifically: ‘What it is about the behaviour of pet dogs that improves the development of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders’; and pinpoint the ‘traits that trigger desirable behaviour’.
Dogs for the Disabled have 20+ years experience of training assistance dogs to help adults & children with physical disabilities, and children with autism.Following positive experiences of training autism assistance dogs and the anecdotal evidence available, the charity, in collaboration with the National Autistic Society (NAS) and the University of Lincoln, is investigating exactly what it is about dogs and their behaviour that can bring about amazing changes and helps to improve the social and emotional development of children with autism.
Since the pioneering PAWS (Parents Autism Workshops and Support) Research Project, funded by the Big Lottery was established in 2010, nearly 200 UK families have benefitted from workshops that are run alongside the research project – the charity is now seeking more families to participate.