My constant, my soul mate, my best friend…

Apr 2, 2024

The story of Makka and Grace

“I needed a door-to-door taxi service to get to & from college, and could not go out anywhere without my Mum. With him I began to independently travel to college, most days using two buses to college and two buses home. There is no way I could’ve done this without the support of my dog – we have come so far!

I still struggle on the odd days when I have to go to college without him, but now am a really confident traveller with him. He comes shopping with me, I can now independently travel to the osteopath/doctors. I can run errands & go to the shops all on our own!

I don’t like people in my space or touching me, Makka will block behind me to stop people coming too close or will ‘orbit’ circle round me to keep people away. He will give me deep pressure therapy when I am getting stressed to help me regulate my emotions. He will interrupt self-injurious behaviour such as picking or nail biting and if I am overwhelmed at college he will guide me to a named member of staff or a place on campus.

Makka will alert me to my anxiety & high heart rate & help me calm down, he is my constant, my soul mate, my best friend. He’s a bit of a doughnut and can be really crazy when free running!”

How Daisy transformed our family

Dec 1, 2023

In the words of our CEO and founder, Hilary Armour:

There’s a photograph I often come back to — one that, for me, captures everything about why Dogs for Autism exists and how a dog called Daisy changed our lives.

I could say so many things about this image and why it’s symbolic of the life-changing work Daisy is doing. She doesn’t just help Marcus — she empowers our whole family. Because of Daisy, we can go out into the community. We’re no longer stuck inside, avoiding the world. She helps us push back against the isolation that so many autism families slowly slide toward, as the outside world becomes more and more overwhelming for their autistic loved one.

Daisy brings calm to Marcus’s inner chaos. She gives him tools to manage his emotions, especially in public — where those moments can be the hardest. She has his back. And because of that, she has ours too.

We have lots of photos of Daisy working with a happy and smiling boy. But this one photo stands out. It might be harder to connect with at first glance, but it truly tells our story. Because without Daisy, that shopping trip would have ended in trauma — upsetting, embarrassing, abandoned before we ever reached the checkout.

Thanks to Daisy, we now have early warnings of Marcus’s meltdowns with 100% accuracy. She’s opened up public spaces and travel in ways we never thought possible. And when Marcus does become emotionally dysregulated, Daisy is right there. Her deep pressure work helps him settle, grounds him, calms the storm.

Dogs aren’t the answer for every autistic individual. But for a significant number, they are life enablers. They are the elusive key that unlocks the door to the outside world.