I
WAS LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED TO HAVE A SERVICE DOG FOR MY AUTISM. MY
PARENTS FILLED OUT AN APPLICATION FOR ME TO GET AN AUTISM SERVICE DOG. WE HAD TO GET MY DOCTOR TO SIGN A FORM THAT
HE THOUGHT I WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING A SERVICE DOG. NEXT WE HAD TO WAIT FOR AN ACCEPTANCE FOR MY APPLICATION. ONCE I WAS ACCEPTED I WAS PUT ON THE
WAIT LIST. THEN THE TRAINERS FROM NATIONAL
SERVICE DOGS (NSD) CAME OVER TO MY HOUSE TO INTERVIEW MY FAMILY AND I. THEY BROUGHT OVER A SERVICE DOG IN TRAINING
NAMED ROSEBUD. SHE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL AND
WELL BEHAVED THAT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ONE OF MY OWN. FINALLY I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL MY NAME CAME UP
ON THE WAIT LIST.
IN
FEBRUARY 2013, I WAS GOING TO GET MY OWN SERVICE DOG IN THE SPRING. I WAS SO EXCITED BUT I COULDN’T EXPRESS
MYSELF OR COMMUNICATE. I AM A NON VERBAL
AUTISTIC BOY. MY PARENTS WANTED A
SERVICE DOG FOR ME BECAUSE I WOULD RUN AWAY FROM THEM IN A STORE OR ANYWHERE IN
THAT MATTER. YOU SEE I HAVE A BODY THAT
DOESN’T COOPERATE WITH ME ALL THE TIME AND IT LEAVES ME SO FRUSTRATED AT
TIMES. A BRAIN AND BODY DISCONNECT THAT
MANY AUTISTICS KNOW ALL TOO WELL. NSD
CAME BACK TO MY HOUSE FOR A FOLLOW UP INTERVIEW. THIS TIME THEY BROUGHT NSD GILLIGAN. I WAS SO HAPPY THAT MY TIME WAS COMING UP. MY PARENTS WENT AWAY FOR TEAM TRAINING SO I
COULD RECEIVE MY SERVICE DOG. MY PARENTS
FACE TIMED MY SISTERS AND I TO SHOW US MY SERVICE DOG. HIS NAME IS NSD GUSTO. I LOVED HIM FROM THE VERY SECOND I SAW
HIM. WHEN MY PARENTS BROUGHT GUSTO HOME
I THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT THIS DOG IS GOING TO BE LIFE CHANGING FOR MY FAMILY
AND MYSELF. WHEN I GOT TETHERED TO GUSTO
FOR THE FIRST TIME I THOUGHT WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE? THE FEELING OF BEING GROUNDED AND KNOWING
WHERE MY BODY IS ALL THE TIME IS SUCH AN AMAZING FEELING. I HAVE PRESSURE FROM MY BELT THAT I AM
TETHERED TO GUSTO. WHEN I FEEL MY BODY
DRIFTING GUSTO WILL BRING ME BACK. THAT
IS ONE OF THE MANY THINGS THAT GUSTO DOES FOR ME. GUSTO ELIMINATES ANY ANXIETY THAT I HAVE JUST
BY BEING WITH ME. HE MAKES ME FEEL
SAFE. HE IS A LIFE SAVER. GUSTO IS MY ONLY CONSTANT IN MY LIFE. HE IS SUPPOSE TO GO EVERYWHERE I GO BUT THIS
PAST SUMMER HE INJURED HIS LEG. HE
REQUIRED TPLO SURGERY. HE GOT A PLATE
AND SOME SCREWS IMPLANTED IN HIS LEG TO REPAIR HIS INJURY. HE WAS THEN PUT ON CRATE REST. WHEN GUSTO GOT INJURED I FELT I HAD LOST MY LIFE. HE WAS MY FREEDOM, MY CONSTANT, MY BFF, MY
LIFELINE TO BEING APART OF THIS WORLD AND I HAD LOST HIM FOR A MOMENT. WE SPENT SEVERAL MONTHS WITHOUT BEING ABLE
TO WORK TOGETHER. THAT WAS SUCH A DIFFICULT
TIME IN MY LIFE. I WAS SO WORRIED THAT
GUSTO WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO RETURN BACK TO WORKING WITH ME. I HAD SUCH A TERRIBLE TIME COPING WITHOUT MY
GUSTO. THE SIMPLEST OUTING WOULD BE SO
DIFFICULT FOR ME. I WOULD BE JUMPING
AROUND ALL OVER THE PLACE, MY VERBAL STIMS WERE OUT OF CONTROL, I FELT UNSAFE
AND OUT OF CONTROL WITH MY WHOLE BODY.
IT WAS SO STRESSFUL GOING OUT IN PUBLIC THAT I WAS HAVING ANXIETY
ATTACKS MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY. I WAS
DREADING EVERY OUTING. ALMOST EVERYTIME
I WAS PANICKING. IT WAS EXTREMELY
DIFFICULT TO LIVE LIKE THAT BUT MY SAVING GRACE WAS THAT I WAS ABLE TO EXPRESS
AND COMMUNICATE BY RAPID PROMPTING METHOD (RPM). I TRAVELED TO AUSTIN TEXAS TO SEE A LADY
NAMED SOMA. SHE TAUGHT ME AND MY PARENTS
RPM. I SPELL OUT MY THOUGHTS AND I TALK
WITH LETTERS USING A LETTER BOARD. I
COULD TALK TO MY PARENTS ABOUT MY ANXIETIES USING A LETTER BOARD.
AT
LAST GUSTO HAD HIS POST OP APPOINTMENT AND HIS X RAY. HE IS COMPLETELY HEALED AND HE CAN GO BACK TO
WORK. I WAS SO RELIEVED THAT HE WAS
HEALED. I FELT LIKE I GOT MY LIFE
BACK. I MISSED HIM SO MUCH ESPECIALLY
WHEN I AM TETHERED TO HIM. I FEEL LIKE I
AM BACK TO MYSELF. I LOVE HIM WITH MY
WHOLE HEART. I HOPE WE NEVER HAVE TO NOT
WORK TOGETHER AGAIN UNTIL HE IS RETIRED.
I WILL GET ANOTHER SERVICE DOG.
THEY DEFINITELY MAKE LIFE WITH AUTISM MORE EASIER.
