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Experiences of Family life with an autism assistance dog
Authors: Claire Smyth | Eamonn Slevin
Date: May 2010
Journal: Learning Disability Practice
Issue: Volume 13, Number 4
Keywords: Assistance dogs, autism, family support
This article examines the day-to-day experiences of parents living with an assistance dog for their autistic child, and that of the whole family. Seven such parents were interviewed after an assistance dog had been placed with their families to support their child. From the responses, seven main themes were identified: safety, freedom, skills acquirement, family cohesion, social acknowledgement, companionship and concerns. The children benefited with regard to safety, companionship, positive social acknowledgement and development of motor skills. Benefits for parents and family included decreased anxiety about the child’s safety, reduced the number of child tantrums, increased family outings and positive social acknowledgement. Concerns included the maintenance of dog training, feeding, grooming, exercise and toileting, the dog’s eventual ageing and death, and the danger that the child might not understand that not all dogs are as helpful and friendly as assistance dogs. There was agreement that overall the presence of the assistance dog had considerably improved the whole family’s quality of life.
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The RCN Publishing Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Royal College of Nursing, the world's largest organisation for nurses. RCN Publishing produces one weekly, eight monthly and two quarterly nursing publications. Nursing Standard, the flagship journal, is the UK's biggest selling weekly for nursing. It is produced by RCN Publishing Company along with a suite of specialist nursing journals - Cancer Nursing Practice, Mental Health Practice, Learning Disability Practice, Nursing Children and Young People, Nursing Management, Emergency Nurse, Nursing Older People, Nurse Researcher and Primary Health Care. RCN Publishing Company also produce the RCN Bulletin, a major source of up-to-the-minute information for RCN members in all specialities, grades and working environments. With the latest nurse vacancies from trusts nationwide, it has become the most cost-effective nurse recruitment magazine available.