Hello, my 7year old daughter Lily-Ann, Has Autism.
Living with autism can be extremely difficult especially when carrying out daily tasks that majority people find easy.
Lily will compulsively run off & she would run into roads with no understanding of danger, it can be absolutely terrifying. I'm constantly on survival mode.
Days out can be extremely stressful,from the simple task of going shopping, to fun days out. She will run off with no fear/understanding of being lost because in her eyes she knows where she is, she has no empathy of others feelings, worry of me not being able to find her. She is hypersensitive to sounds, lights, touch, smells, & tastes. So being in some places can be difficult, especially with many eyes that are watching her, as autism is not visual disability, many people point/stare when she has a sensory overload witch can increase lily-Ann anxiety, frustration. I often get many looks my self being judged as a parent. But people don't understand that lily-Ann sees the world completely different. She can find most places difficult, Even to using a public toilet.
With autism it can be a struggle to understand normal social cues & body language making it difficult to form friendship/keep friendship.
Research shows that dogs can provide love, empathy, companionship that is hard for autism sufferers to recognise, it helps kids connect with the world. The dog will give her emotional support that will calm her down. The dog will have the natural ability to read lily anxiety and stress leaves & will always know when to remind her everything ok and reduce anxiety. The dog will increase independence, overcome social isolation, have more self-esteem, improve her communication skills, as it can be very limited. The dog will be a friend that she can talk to, when she feels she can't talk to anyone els.
The dog would improve Lily's life drastically because she finally be given the opportunity to participate in society with out relying so heavily on me