Autism service dogs can help break the emotional, physical, and verbal barriers that some with autism face. They serve as a concrete connection of unconditional love and support for the individual. Some tasks that can help are (but are not limited to):
Sensory awareness
Dog will alert to an important sound (fire alarms, crosswalk signals, phone notifications)
Guide
Dog will guide a disoriented person to a partner or to the nearest quiet area if senses become overloaded
Serve as a grounding focal point
Deep pressure therapy
Alert to stimming
Alert to parents if something dangerous is happening (child leaving in middle of night, wandering during the day)
Search
Dog will find the individual that it is trained to help
Sensory awareness
Dog will alert to an important sound (fire alarms, crosswalk signals, phone notifications)
Guide
Dog will guide a disoriented person to a partner or to the nearest quiet area if senses become overloaded
Serve as a grounding focal point
Deep pressure therapy
Alert to stimming
Alert to parents if something dangerous is happening (child leaving in middle of night, wandering during the day)
Search
Dog will find the individual that it is trained to help