Our Purpose
My only child, Matthew James, is a very special little boy. Born in November of 1999, I lost him to non-verbal Autism in February 2001. He's the greatest joy of my life, although my heart still aches with hope for his life.
Matthew lives on the periphery of our world, only interacting with me or other members of our family when he wants to, or when he needs something. He's a very good little boy, but I long for him to be able to engage with his us and other aspects of our world more appropriately and comfortably.
Inspired by the idea of Animal Assisted Therapy, especially those dogs who are now being trained for children with Autism, I felt strongly that this complimentary therapy could make a difference in his life.
Unlike other families who wish to obtain an Autism Service Dog that has ALREADY been trained, and therefore a much more significant investment upfront, I felt the best option for our family - most specifically the best option for my son, was to get puppy that could grow and learn WITH him.
I knew I could inspire Matthew's interest in a dog more successfully, if he's given a longer period of time to become accustomed to one. From the day to day acclimation that would be required, he'll come to understand that a puppy learns and grows as he does - and can become a valued member of our family!
And so, I'd like to introduce you to Amistad's Falen aka "Pippi" our special dog for our special needs.
Why an Australian Shepherd?
Aussie's are known for their high level of intelligence and their strong desire to "work." I fell in love with the breed when I worked in an Assisted Living community and met "Buddy," a four year old Australian Shepherd who belonged to one of our residents. He still lives with her at the community in the special wing dedicated to residents with memory impairments. He has a wonderful personality, and it was evident that he thoroughly enjoyed visiting with all of the many people he came into contact with everyday.
In an article from Psychiatric Times,
"Therapy with children now part of a dog's life," (which I've also included in our blog's navigation to the right) Child and adolescent psychiatrist Rachel Fleissner, M.D., has two trained dogs assisting her in therapy with children diagnosed with mental and developmental disorders. Those dogs are Australian Shepherds!
Because Australian Shepherds are "sight dogs," they are masters at reading body language, said Fleissner. Having a child who is non-verbal means having to suffer through a crash-course in reading body language! After much research on the topic of Autism Service Dogs, I knew that the Australian Shepherd breed was going to be a good fit for my son and me.
It's the little things....that mean so much!
I recently shared something in my email correspondence with Judie Manuel, Pippi's breeder. I recounted my joy over the silliest event. You see, every morning I wake and the first thing I do is let Pippi outside to relieve herself. Almost every day, I accompany her and then throw the frisbee for her awhile. She loves this routine. But the other day, I awoke with a headache and so I let her out and didn't join her but went back to lay down. In the meantime, Matthew had gotten up and turned on his cartoons in the living room. A little time had passed and I heard her barking to come back inside. Just as I was thinking about dragging myself back up to let her in, I heard the back door open, the sing-song of my little kiddo's voice as he, in his own way, talked to Pippi as he let her in the house himself.
And there I was...laying in my bed, headache forgotten, with a huge grin on my face! Something so trivial to almost anyone else, is simply profound and miraculous to me. My son relating to the life around him. Acceptance. Second Nature. All in good time.
My Favorite Quotes About Dogs
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras
If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went
~Will Rogers
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
~Ben Williams
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
~Josh Billings
The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.
~Andy Rooney
We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It’s the best deal man has ever made.
~M. Acklam
