Surprising Benefits Of A Service Dog For A Handicapped Child

[Meg]

This article is truly amazing. The child in this testimony is a fetal alchahol syndrome victim adopted from Russia, but the potential for service trained dogs for children with serious emotional problems is wider than most people realize. I hope this article brings a ray of hope to families in need of hope and answers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/ma...&_r=1&src=dayp

The hypothesis is that the sudden drop in Iyal’s anxiety level — the sudden decrease in his hypervigilance, the lowering of his cortisol level and the disarming of the fight-flight physiology — frees up cognitive energy that he can use for thought and speech. “A child with a disability feels freer not to suppress his ideas and behaviors when he’s with his dog,” Beck says. “There’s a level of trust and confidentiality he has with no one else. And it’s a good choice: the dog is his true confidant and friend.”

[ShilohRose]

Thank you for sharing this article.