{"id":5072,"date":"2025-12-12T13:55:44","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T13:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/360wire\/?p=5072"},"modified":"2025-12-15T15:13:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T15:13:12","slug":"therapists-highlight-vital-role-of-autism-assistance-dogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/360wire\/2025\/12\/12\/therapists-highlight-vital-role-of-autism-assistance-dogs\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts highlight vital role of autism assistance dogs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Autism assistance dogs, such as the ones provided by Support Dogs<\/a>, can help autistic children in a variety of ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autistic people face many challenges in navigating the world, such as emotional dysregulation and alternative sensory processing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leah Booker, psychotherapist and founder of Free to Be You<\/a>, a service for neurodivergent<\/a> individuals, said: \u201cThere are lots of things that can trigger sensory overwhelm or emotional overload in autistic adults and children – loud noises, bright lights, and especially last-minute changes.

\u201cWhen something shifts unexpectedly in the routine, they often don\u2019t know how to cope with it. That’s when shutdowns can happen, because they\u2019re not processing the situation in the same way as others.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Circumstances, including positive ones, can prompt overwhelm, especially as their system is already running on high alert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ruby Willows is a counsellor who specialises in ADHD and autism, aiming to build confidence, help people understand their symptoms and manage anxieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ruby Willows<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They said: \u201cBeing out means putting yourself in a situation where we are interpreting other people\u2019s expressions and feeling the pressure to mask. This is tiring and adds to the risk of overload. It\u2019s not that you won\u2019t regulate, it’s that you can\u2019t at that moment.”

According to Support Dogs, autism assistance dogs are trained to provide emotional and physical support to facilitate a more independent and socially inclusive life for both the child and their family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physically, the weight and steady presence of an assistance dog can also have a regulating effect on the nervous system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By lying against the person and providing deep-touch compression<\/a>, the dog offers grounding sensory input that helps shift the body out of an acute stress state and into a more settled one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are also trained to keep their owners safe, including preventing bolting i<\/a>nto the road – a common trait among autistic children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A support dog (Credit: Josieh Photography) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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An assisance dog from Support Dogs (credit: Chris Miller)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With lived experience of autism, Ruby understands the importance of practical tools, such as assistance dogs, in offering support and understanding.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mx Willows said: \u201cSelf-soothing isn’t always accessible, and this is when individuals might need the aid of a weighted blanket or support animal, which can stimulate the same effect as one, staying with you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They added: \u201cSupport dogs can introduce an all-important calmness and unconditional acceptance, they love and see you just as you are, massively supporting regulation. You know where you stand with them. This alone can be part of the healing process.

“For those of us who take things quite literally, with dogs, you don’t have the concern of getting the wrong idea. For someone who\u2019s trying to decode human interaction, that clarity can be such a relief. You can just be<\/em>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support Dogs revealed that last year, over 4,000 applications were made for therapy dogs for autistic children, but only 1 in 70  were able to receive one, adding to the growing waitlist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 360-wire backed campaign aims to tackle this issue by fundraising \u00a31000 for 10 autistic children to meet their support dog for the first time and to secure 15 sponsors for autism assistance dog Peggy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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A post shared by Support Dogs (@supportdogsuk)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n