No one knows exactly what causes autism. Autistic people live in a world that society has little understanding of. They often exhibit ritualistic and repetitive behaviors that sometimes last for hours. Some scientists believe that people with autism have an increased level of sensory perception, which sometimes leads to sensory overload.

The impairment of people with autism is most pronounced in communication and in forming social relationships. People with autism often use only non-verbal communication or are unable to actively communicate with other people around them.

Many people with this disability have a strong need for a structured, routine environment, and even the slightest changes cause them feelings of fear, danger, and anxiety. Some people even show serious changes in behavior, including self-harm and sleep disorders.
Autistic people often also have a tendency to run away. They are able to escape even from a very well-secured space. If this happens, the autistic person can get into a situation that threatens their life.
Autistic people are only rarely able to evaluate dangerous situations in their surroundings – e.g. an approaching car, they are able to open the gate to an aggressive dog behind a fence, go into deep water, react to a stressful situation with a panicked escape that can endanger their health and life, etc. They also often do not respond to calling their name. An autistic child is able to lose sight of their parents in a moment, or is able to throw themselves into the path of an oncoming car. The “game” of fetch can non-violently distract a person with autism and redirect their unwanted behavior in the right direction. Older autistic people are often unable to go shopping independently, and when they do go shopping, they are unable to hand over money at the cash register because it is too close physical contact with a stranger for them. A scattered backpack on the sidewalk can cause them to panic so much that they leave their things on the sidewalk and run away. Some are afraid to touch certain types of materials, such as a cabinet handle or doorknob, etc. That is why it is important that an assistance guide dog is trained to deliver various objects, sometimes it must also be able to open doors, etc.

At Helppes, we discovered the magic that exists between autistic people and dogs. By acquiring a specially trained dog, the life of an autistic person can become more fulfilling and self-sufficient, and a dog can even save the life of a person with autism.

If a person with autism loses sight of their caregivers, their life is in danger. People who set out to look for them can often go in the wrong direction, while a specially trained dog is trained to find a specific person and can bring help to the person with disabilities very quickly.

Autistic people and people with Asperger’s syndrome have very few friends, if any at all. They are unable to establish the necessary social relationships to maintain friendships, this problem appears especially in children, starting from the elementary school level. Other children do not understand their behavior, and therefore they are excluded from the group.

However, these people are very often able to establish a very friendly and intimate relationship with their canine helper, which they are not able to with people. Autistic people also often cannot tolerate any close physical contact, sometimes even from the closest people. However, they often show close physical contact with their dog themselves – they hug it, kiss it. So it is clear that they have a need for close physical contact, they are just not able to show it towards people. It is demonstrable that the relationship that people with autism show towards their dog, they are rarely able to show towards people. They are able to confide in a dog and sometimes even show greater sensitivity towards the needs of a dog than a person, without signs of anger or aggression.  In an effort to communicate well with the dog, they are able to give it commands, reward it, and even participate in the care of the dog.

The task of a specially trained dog is to help a person with autism overcome all difficulties associated with verbal communication and establishing social bonds. A specially trained dog can reassure an autistic person that feelings of anxiety and fear are not necessary, because a canine friend is always on their side. As the bond between the person with autism and their dog develops over time, the chances that the person with autism will eventually be able to transfer their relationship with the dog to their surroundings increase.

A specially trained dog is a calming element, it is trained to be able to non-violently interrupt an autistic person’s unwanted repetitive behavior.

These dogs are taught to always sit at the edge of the sidewalk, so that the person with autism will be forced to stop.

Another skill for dogs that is often requested by parents of children with autism is the ability for the child to move more independently – so that they do not have to constantly lead the child by the hand. In these cases, the dog is attached to a longer leash used by the parent, which allows them to have the dog under absolute control, while their child learns to lead the dog on a shortened leash. Parents can maintain the safety of the child who is holding the dog on a leash by being able to easily stop the dog using basic obedience commands. This makes shopping easier for them, for example, because they can focus on choosing goods or paying at the checkout without having to worry about the child taking their eyes off them. They sit the dog, or if more time is needed, they put the dog down and are sure that the dog will not let the child go anywhere (this can be solved by attaching the dog’s leash to the child’s belt).

The mission of our dog assistants for people with autism is to provide them with friendship, companionship, unconventional and unconditional love. To be a source of comfort and security during a change of environment. To improve their quality of life, bring greater independence and overcome the problems they face.

If you believe that a specially trained assistance dog could be beneficial for your loved ones, please take a moment to also read the information at these links: “Frequently asked questions and answers“, “What will a dog bring me, what must I give him?” and “How to get a canine helper.