How are Service Animals Helping Children with Autism?

Heeling Autism is a program of the nonprofit Guiding Eyes for the Blind, based in Yorktown Heights, New York.  The group has found that service animals can assist children with autism, as well as sight-impaired individuals.  Service dogs help keep autistic kids safe by discouraging them from bolting when frightened.  They also provide companionship, encourage autistic children to be more independent and social, and increase social acknowledgment by other children.

To mark April as Autism Awareness month, children at Lincoln Avenue Elementary School in Pearl River, New York learned about autism, and got to meet one of the service dogs in a program to assist autistic children.  The name of the program?  Heeling Autism. Many children with autism are assisted by service animals.

If you believe that your child with autism would benefit from the assistance of a service animal, or if you would like to volunteer to help train service dogs, contact Guiding Eyes for the Blind at www.guidingeyes.org.

For assistance with questions regarding your child’s special needs visit our website at https://www.specialneedsnewyork.com/.