A boy’s best friend Service dog may help autistic child gain social confidence

Garrett Gray loves animals.

The second-grader is on his third DVD copy of “The Lion King.” Repeated viewing wore out the first two. “Charlotte’s Web” is played religiously every night before he goes to bed, and his favorite cartoons, all involving playful critters, are constantly switched on.

Garrett, 8, may love animals so much because of his disability. He has autism.

Garrett’s parents are raising money to purchase him a service dog, which will help him cope with his autism, a developmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication difficulties. He hasn’t been able to stop talking about the service dog. To his family’s complete astonishment, he even donated his birthday money to the effort.

“Children with autism have a special relationship with animals – an unspoken communication,” Tonya Gray, Garrett’s mother, said recently from her mother’s home in Etna. “He’ll do anything for animals. That’s why the dog will be so good for him.”

Autism affects functioning of the brain. Usually noticeable in early childhood, the disorder’s dominant signs include resisting change, difficulty in expressing needs, preferring to be alone and throwing tantrums.

April is National Autism Awareness Month, so it is fitting that the Grays have started holding local events to educate community members about the disability and to raise money for the dog, which costs $5,000.

At a spaghetti dinner fundraiser last month, the family raised more than $1,000, and Garrett had a chance to get acquainted with his future service dog.

The dog Garrett has been working with is Denver, a 1-year-old golden retriever trained by Lynn and Robert Boulier of Tail Waggin’ Training Center in Levant. The boy’s family already sees a change when Garrett is with Denver, including a decrease in the number of tantrums.

“In open areas, [Garrett] usually just wants to run, but at the dinner, he was very content to just walk around with the dog,” Tonya Gray said. “The difference was just amazing. He didn’t have one episode.”

The Bouliers, who have worked with service dogs for 22 years, teach the canines to assist in everyday tasks, such as retrieving food from the refrigerator, picking up a ringing phone and taking laundry out of the dryer.

Denver is trained to deal with Garrett’s particular needs, according to Lynn Boulier.

“The main purpose of a service dog is to provide emotional support,” she said. “Autistic kids have a lack of self-esteem, and the dogs provide confidence. This is huge, because these children don’t know how to interact.”

Garrett has delays in muscle development as well as autism, so Denver will be harnessed to him at all times to keep him steady on his feet and to hold him in one place if he tries to run in a crowded area.

Lynn Boulier recommends that a child’s developmental and speech therapists be involved with the adoption of a service dog so they can collaborate with parents to ensure the dog helps the child learn vital life skills.

“If they see a dog do it, they’ll want to,” Boulier said of children with service dogs. “If the dog picks up toys and trash off the floor, this helps the child learn.”

The Bouliers have placed seven service dogs with autistic children. Their 6-year-old daughter, who also happens to have autism, has been working with a service dog since age 2. The Bouliers have seen many improvements in her behavior, such as increased eye contact when meeting new people and fewer tantrums.

“It’s not about us making a lot of money; it’s more to help these kids live in a world that is critical of them,” Boulier said. “The dog has made such a difference for our daughter, and we want to help others in this way.”

The Grays hope that Garrett eventually can take Denver to school with him, which would help him stay calm throughout the day. Many schools in Maine have accepted service dogs into their programs, according to Boulier.

Garrett will be responsible for feeding, walking and caring for the dog; in turn, Denver will respond solely to him in social settings.

“It will help with [Garrett’s] socialization skills,” Tonya Gray said. “When he is out in public, people will have to ask to touch the dog, and he’ll have to respond. The dog will help steer and guide him to know what is an OK situation.”

A difficult aspect of Garrett’s disability is that he, like many autistic children, does not often like to be hugged or touched, said Gray. By petting the dog, Garrett will grow more comfortable with physical contact and be able to apply those skills to other social interactions.

“I know the emotional bond with the dog will help him so much,” Gray said. “Garrett knows the dog costs money. But it’s clear he’s going to do whatever he needs to in order to get him.”

To find out more about local children with autism, visit the Autism Society of Maine Web site at www.asmonline.org or call the toll-free line at (800) 273-5200.