Guest guest Posted October 2, 2010 Report Share Posted October 2, 2010 Dogs are so therapeutic for kids with AS. Certainly that was the case for me. On 10/2/10 6:08 PM, " Sandy SANDIA " <ssandiacr@...> wrote: I have heard that pets can help our Aspies. In which ways they help? I am hesitant to get my 3 yo son a dog as we like cleanliness. What pet can I get him that he can play with and touch but does not get him sick? Thanks to all for sharing your suggestions! Recent Activity: New Members < /members;_ylc=X3oDMTJkajZxMGFwBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE4NjM4BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNjMyOTA1MgRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2bWJycwRzdGltZQMxMjg1NTA2NjI2?o=6> 20 Visit Your Group < ;_ylc=X3oDMTJjcXA0aWFvBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE4NjM4BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNjMyOTA1MgRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzEyODU1MDY2MjY-> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 3, 2010 Report Share Posted October 3, 2010 Hi, I think pets, in general, are a wonderful thing for any kid and family. But,,,,we have a LOT. Even take them in for the Humane Society as fosters....and whatnot. I feel they help by simply being open to any kind of love and affection. (Most pets, that is). For cuddling, I'd say a cat or dog. Guinea pigs have been an amazing part of our home but they do require cage-changing often.Any animal, though, is going to require some work,,,,,but if you ask me, the rewards are worth it. We consider them another family member. Animals require love and understanding and need to be cleaned. They can't do it themselves, obviously. You child can help in the cleaning of them. They will hug them when perhaps school isn't going too well....or they feel alone or are having a bad day..... Pets are a way to show and give emotion.......and that's awesome for kids who showing emotion doesn't necessarily come easy. I DO have to laugh a little at the part you said about being able to touch but not get sick from an animal. Hee hee. Unless there are allergies, he won't get sick. Oh - and beware that certain animals cannot be bathed a lot......so you may want to do some real research before making a choice. Good luck........ Robin And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be. For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see, there will be an answer. let it be. From: Sandy SANDIA <ssandiacr@...>Subject: ( ) Pet suggestionsAspergers Treatment Date: Saturday, October 2, 2010, 5:08 PM I have heard that pets can help our Aspies. In which ways they help? I am hesitant to get my 3 yo son a dog as we like cleanliness. What pet can I get him that he can play with and touch but does not get him sick? Thanks to all for sharing your suggestions! Recent Activity: New Members 20 Visit Your Group Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 3, 2010 Report Share Posted October 3, 2010 Another really helpful aspect of pets for Aspie kids is that the pets provide a great connecting point with other kids. Making friends and striking up conversations can be so hard, but it's amazing how other kids will come over and start talking because of the pet. It can really help your child with social skills. Diane > > > From: Sandy SANDIA <ssandiacr@...> > Subject: ( ) Pet suggestions > Aspergers Treatment > Date: Saturday, October 2, 2010, 5:08 PM > > > Â > > > > I have heard that pets can help our Aspies. In which ways they help? I am hesitant to get my 3 yo son a dog as we like cleanliness. What pet can I get him that he can play with and touch but does not get him sick? Thanks to all for sharing your suggestions! > > > Recent Activity: > > New Members 20 > Visit Your Group > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 3, 2010 Report Share Posted October 3, 2010 Animals can help teach empathy a really tough thing to teach a child who does not have it automatically - how to be gentle, when to stop bothering them, responsibility, emotional connecton to something other than special interest - it is also very calming - ways to connect with others- reading body language and ques- mostly just having someone that loves them no matter what beside their parents- my son broke a kittens leg at age 4- we got a dog and he has been rough with her but she tolerates it to a point and leaves when he is too rough- he also goes to hippotherapy ( OT with horses and horseback riding in a therapeutic setting) - for the longest time he did not get how to make a connection or why anyone would want to, but now he takes such pride in being able to make the horse smile or that our dog Bella loves him more than anyone else in our house, because he is so nice to her- It is a wonderful transformation to seem him care and love something enough to check if she is hurt, to give her hugs and treats and to snuggle with her while watching movies- he can handle way more tactile things now as well - he is more cuddly, more willing to allow others to touch him without hitting them or shying away or striking out which is huge for a child with tactile sensitivities and sensory ntegration issues - he has come along way in four years having the dog around- it was not a quick fix and he did hurt her a couple times, once he put a hair elastic around her neck to pin her ears backa nd we did not realize until she near suffocated, but he and she have both learned a lot from one another and now they are the best of friends. Dogs are fantastic for these kids, but they need lots of supervision in the beginning and prompting until you know how they will treat each other. We took our dog to a trainer, that had us keep her leashed to me for 2 weeks straight 24 hours a day, so she knew to always be with me and not to be alone with him. That was a rough two weeks, but it was a wonderful idea, because she learned she is safe with me and he learned that he can not be rough with her because I will take her away from him when he is. It took some adjustment along the way, but although she is not a autism trained dog - we have noticed she senses when he is having aissues and will alert us when he is up to something or having a hard time, sometimes before we realize. She has been a real godsend for our family. we made sure we got a dog that was larger than him and one that was fully grown from the shelter, so sh could defend herself and we taught him early on that she has very sharp teeth and claws. Thankfully in all these years it has never been an issue for us, but I think the fact that she is a border collie retriever mix makes her protective of him and nurturing. I do not think I would get a high strung or dog prone to defending itself around a kid like my son. She is very calm and mostly just rests, so it worked out perfect for us. If we had had a hyper dog though, I can see how it might have had the opposite effect on him. From: Sandy SANDIA <ssandiacr@...>Subject: ( ) Pet suggestionsAspergers Treatment Date: Saturday, October 2, 2010, 5:08 PM I have heard that pets can help our Aspies. In which ways they help? I am hesitant to get my 3 yo son a dog as we like cleanliness. What pet can I get him that he can play with and touch but does not get him sick? Thanks to all for sharing your suggestions! Recent Activity: New Members 20 Visit Your Group Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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