ASD Service Dog

I (mom) have been researching the possibility of getting a service dog for Javi. There is quite a lot involved in getting a service dog, however, I think it would be a good fit for Javi. It would help in so many ways to allow Javi to be much more independent. We have put our pre-application in at Paws'itve Teams (http://www.pawsteams.org/) which is right here in San Diego and I have researched some that are out of state. In particular, we are interested in the service dogs that are more "family oriented" since we have multiple children with special needs. I have read on North Star's website (http://www.northstardogs.com/), that they offer dogs that meet the family's needs. In particular, there is a story about two brothers in the autism spectrum that share a service dog. The dog would mainly help with Javi's independence (ie: help him stay out of the street when playing outside with typical peers, help him stay on task when dressing, etc). I can't believe the stories about these dogs. They are amazing! I think it would really help him bridge the gap in many and help him with his day to day tasks. Also, the true companionship of have a service dog would be wonderful for him.

It's a long wait for a dog, but it's definitely something we are looking in to as a possibility.