Animals and Autism

I have been reading "Cowboy and Wills-A Love Story" by Monica Holloway. It has quickly become one of my all time favorite reads and has renewed my faith in the power of animals and children with disabilities. We have been wanting to add a furry new addition for some time now, but finding the right fit is challenging. There is a lot of information out there regarding the connection between pets and children on the autism spectrum. I have a friend who has a trained service dog to assist her children, but I am not sure that is what Max and Avery need right now. Also, that is an enormous expense that we cannot take on at this time. 

We found and adopted a 3 year old dog named Reggie. Everything about him seems perfect. My first impression of him reminded me of another dog we had (Amos) who loved the kids. It is amazing how Reggie is not be at all scared when Max is screaming and throwing a tantrum, which can be very loud and shocking even to adults who are familiar with Maxwell and his behaviors. For example, the other day when Max was upset, Reggie waited until he was calm and gently laid his head in his lap. Max's demeanor quickly changed to the happy sweet boy he typifies. The scene was beautiful. It takes a long time for him to get used to most people, but after just one short week, Max knows Reggie is his friend.  As for Avery, she enjoys the typical horseplay all children do with dogs. She kisses and hugs him, but also has already tried to ride him like a horse. Reggie is unconditionally patient and has not barked or snipped at any of the children. It has been about 5 years since we have had a pet and I am so glad we found this fabulous new addition to the Lewis house! Oh yah, he is great on runs with mom as well. YEAH REGGIE!