1,000,000 Steps for Dogs for Autism!
Our youngest 100 Hero has made it into the newspaper!
100 Hero Thomas Dutton has walked a staggering 1,000,000 steps for us this Summer.
Read the full article here!
Isabella and Storm join BBC Countryfile for the first Children in Need Ramble Appeal
DfA partner Isabella and her assistance dog Storm appeared in the first of BBC Countryfile’s Ramble Appeal Films broadcast as part of their anniversary show to mark 100 Years of the BBC.
Isabella filmed with the cast and crew of the show earlier this Summer, her film being the first of Countryfile’s Ramble appeal films, on behalf of BBC Children in Need.
Isabella talks about how her life has been transformed thanks to her specially-trained assistance dog Storm and how he has been a help for both her and her family since Storm moved in!
Storm has been a particular help for Isabella by managing some of the aspects of her autism. Storm has helped with the specific morning tasks that previously hampered the family’s morning routine. Storm’s has enabled Isabella to more easily manage the disabling morning meltdowns that she used to experience. He helps Isabella get up out of bed and get ready in time for the school run. The Ramble Appeal film goes on to explain how Storm is now a valued member of their family.
Children like Isabella are benefiting from the incredible funding that Children in Need gives as an annual contribution to our charity.
If you’d like to help with the BBC’s Countryfile Ramble on 8th & 9th October this year, please visit their website.
Alternatively you can find out more via the Children in Need website.
DfA super-star Leo in Hollywood Premier!
DfA are delighted to share in Leo’s success! Leo is one of our autistic partners and an incredible young actor.
Leo will be making his screen debut in the soon to be released Netflix film, ‘I used to be Famous’ due for release in September 2022.
Leo, who plays Stevie in the role, is an up and coming young actor, already known for his theatre work and commitments with the National Open Youth Orchestra , who stars alongside Ed Skrein as one of the two main characters in the film by director Eddie Sternburg.
Leo, talented DfA partner, musician and young performer, lives with his DfA autism assistance dog Cashel.
Leo is a creative musician, young performer and sportsman in his spare time, but he still has lots of time for his wonderful assistance dog Cashel when not on set! Autism assistance dog Cashel helps mitigate Leo’s autism, helping him with the specific everyday tasks that he may find challenging.
The film is due for release on Netflix on September 16th! 🌟
Congratulations to Leo and the cast of the show, which highlights the incredible talents people with autism have.
Well done Leo, you’re a super-star at DfA! 🌟 🙌 🌟 Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7zP4ccVxYY&t=34s
For more information about our work at Dogs for Autism, to get involved, sponsor a puppy or be one of our 100 Heroes, please visit our website: www.dogsforautism.org.uk
Storm and Isabella thank BBC Children in Need!
Dogs for Autism are proud to share BBC Children in Need‘s video featuring Isabella, one of our autistic partners, with her Autism Assistance Dog, Storm.
Children like Isabella are benefiting from the incredible funding that the organisation gives as an annual contribution to our charity.
Because of your generosity, BBC Children in Need are able to grant Dogs for Autism the generous general funding for 8 autism assistance dogs a year, every year for the next three years.
As a charity our only limit is financial, so funding such as this makes a substantial contribution to our annual totals. Thank you BBC Children in Need, this is a life-changing contribution for our partners and their families.
Watch Isabella and Storm here.
The ‘Dog’tor will see you now!
Dogs for Autism’s (DfA) assistance dog Cashel, enjoyed a visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
Cashel, accompanied by DfA’s Early Days Manager Gemma, is one of Dogs for Autism’s most recently fully trained autism assistance dog. Cashel and Gemma visited the hospital on behalf of the charity, helping to promote Learning Disability Week.
During the day Cashel met some of the staff and patients on the wards. Great Ormond Street were able to see some of the specific tasks that an autism assistance dog can perform to better benefit their autistic partner, performing on cue from the partner’s behaviours.
Helping to ‘ground’ people when they are emotionally dysregulated by undertaking specific tasks is something that Dogs for Autism dogs are trained to do from a young age.
All the patients Cashel met enjoyed picking him up and giving him a cuddle or two!
Our thanks to the staff and patients at G.O.S.H for making Cashel feel so welcome on his visit and for the kind reproduction of this video.