USSDR Blog Banner

Boy Receives Autism Service Dog

Boy Receives Autism Service Dog

admin No Comments November 21, 2018
blog title

SWDR a 501 (c) (3) organization in Madison, Virginia that provides service dogs to individuals with invisible disabilities, recently delivered a special Autism Service Dog to an 11-year-old boy to assist him with daily living. SDWR breeds and trains golden and Labrador retrievers to help people living with autism, diabetes, PTSD and seizure disorders.

Boy Receives Autism Service Dog

Dominic, who lives in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania, was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old. It’s been reported that his mom, Abigail, stated, “Dominic has frequent nightmares, self harm tendencies, elopement issues and self esteem issues. It pains us to see him struggle so much when he has such big dreams. He also has issues with heat and cannot tell when he is overheating. He has been hospitalized in patient five times and twice this year. Our family is a bit broken and we miss him always when he has to leave us.”

Dominic received a golden retriever autism service dog named Floyd, who was trained at the facility in Madison by SDWR’s volunteers. Floyd and his trainers must complete foundation training and skill set training before graduation. After graduation, his education continues in the home where he is placed.

Floyd is a honored graduate of a program that remembers fallen American police who gave their lives for their country. He is named in honor of Lieutenant Steven Romell Floyd, Sr.. Floyd, Sr. worked at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna, Delaware. In 2017, he was killed during a hostage situation at the center. Floyd will carry on Floyd, Sr.’s legacy by working with Dominic. Floyd can go anywhere Dominic does, because he is a service dog wearing his service dog vest and covered under the ADA. Dominic can take Floyd to restaurants, to the store, to therapy and to school.

SWDR will continue to work with Floyd and Dominic over the next 18 months as the two adjust to each other. Every three to four months, trainers will have sessions with Dominic and his family to customize Floyd to help Dominic. Dominic will also get training to help him team up with Floyd. This is what makes SWDR’s program unique. Not only do the dogs get thousands of hours of training before placement, the training doesn’t stop after placement.

Autism dogs are trained to assist in many different ways, from calming down their handler who is having a meltdown, retrieving medication and providing redirection from repetitive behaviors. SDWR tailors its program for each client’s specific needs. Autism service dogs reduce family stress, make therapy more effective and can improve family dynamics.

Currently SDWR serves approximately 1,000 families around the globe. Over the past 7 years, they’ve had a 93 percent success rate with their model. The service dog is placed with the family once the training is completed, rather than having the family come to the center.

SWDR relies on donations to support their work. If you’re interested in learning more about their mission, please visit their website. Service dogs improve the quality of life and perform life-saving duties for individuals who struggle with invisible disabilities.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Preloader
X
SERVICE DOG ID CARD USA Service Animal Registration Your Service Dog ID card will include our convenient QR Code for a quick scan link to our registry lookup. By simply entering your dog\'s registration number your official registered profile will be accessible for quick verification in the event the validity of your service dog is ever questioned. 2054
$29.99
Product Image
5 12634
- by , March 25, 2011
1/ 1stars
Horrible. My letter wasn't accepted and I am forced to live somewhere else now. Never again.
Great experience - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Overall easy to purchase and register.
One more step - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
I will be satisfied when I get a fax number to send my apartment complex paperwork to be filled out
Did not receive order - by , March 25, 2011
1/ 1stars
I made a purchase on 3/9/2023 and it is now 3/23/2023 and I have yet to receive my package in the mail. I also can not get ahold of anyone at the company to check on my order.
Very thin - by , March 25, 2011
3/ 3stars
The vest is thin, not sure how long it will hold up. Love the cards tho they are nice and help show registration
Housing Letter - by , March 25, 2011
3/ 3stars
Well, they did email my letter, although my understanding was to also send a hardcopy in the mail. I never received this. I paid serious money, with a budget of disability so no choice but to send this disgruntled review
Dog tags - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Great I love how fast you receive service
- by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
I did not see a place to unload my photo
Great Customer Service - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Excellent and gentle people. Caring and Loving Staff
amazing great nice perfect - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Perfect service awesome experience
Teronica - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
It was nothing less than amazing. Very sweet therapist , very kind & understanding
Excellent Service - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
You were very helpful as I worked on the registration and determined what to order. Thank you very much to Carolyn and Lori for their email and phone assistance.
Great experiences - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
The vest is very lightweight and fits my dog perfectly. Thank you for helping in this process
Exceptional Service - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Great, thorough
Great Customer Service - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Great customer service. expedient process, easy to access resources
USA Service Dog Registration - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
USA SDR ia a wonderful company. They're quick to respond and make purchases easy, quick . The instructions and explanation are to the letter. This is the third time I have used them. If in the future I need a new dog registered I will only use them.
Easy to complete - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Great ! This site made it so easy to complete
UsA Service Dog Registration - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
What a great experience. Everything was straight forward and easy to use. Got my card within 3 days of ordering
Order Correction - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
I made a mistake and ordered the Deluxe ESA package and included the letter I didn't need. With a Very quickly returned - Super friendly, helpful and Honest phone call, the matter was resolved and my order was edited and will be out to me ASAP. Please thank her for me on behalf of me and my partner Blue! The speed of everything was great, but the Kindness of my agent- I can't remember her name! - was Unreal.
- by , March 25, 2011
1/ 1stars
Good have not. Received card yet