'Heeling' Autism Program Flourishes in Yorktown

For families with autistic children, life can be extraordinarily stressful — from finding the right therapies to dealing with the neurological disorder's impact on the entire family.

But there is one program that aims to provide an improved quality of life for both the family and the child.

"Heeling Autism" represents Guiding Eyes for The Blind's commitment to help a community of families in need. The program's highly respected service dogs are trained to provide safety for children with autism.

The program got its name after the first ever Guiding Eyes-Autism Service dog was given to the Zarro family of Ossining in 2008, and Tricia, the mother, said she wants the dog to heal her child.

The black Labrador, Shade, was given to her son Danny on March 28, 2008.

"Shade has given Danny the gift of celebrity, bringing him into social situations," Tricia Zarro said. "One day at the playground, a little boy said, 'There is that cool kid with the dog. Let's go play with him.'"

"Danny will not stray from his dog and Shade will not stray from him," she said. "This is absolutely a priceless gift."

It is also a gift that many autistic children have to wait for — the wait list is now two and a half years.

"I don't want to tell somebody the waiting list is two and a half years," Program Director Caroline McCabe-Sandler said. "That's the hardest part."

Within the two-hour drive that Guiding Eyes for the Blind covers from its base in Yorktown Heights, there are 400 applicants.

"It's such a battle, and it's a sad battle," Sandler said. "It's a heart-breaking diagnosis."

Since the program started in 2008, 17 dogs have been placed with families with autistic children. Financial constraints keep Heeling Autism from providing more service dogs to children in need. They cannot afford more staff to work with and train the dogs. Guiding Eyes provides Heeling Autism at no charge to the families, including the dog, on-site training and extensive at home training. The approximate cost for one dog is $45,000.

The dogs that successfully become autism service dogs need to be passive, calm; they need to have low distraction, no body sensitivity, and complete trust. The number one task of the dogs, Sandler said, is to prevent the child from running off.

Autistic children can have no sense of preservation, and the number one cause of death among them is drowning. The child is attached to the dog, and in attempt to run away, the service dog would lie down preventing the child from doing so.

Also, children have high levels of irritation and stress, and having a passive dog with low energy can carry it on to the child and calm him or her down.

Every family matched with a Heeling Autism dog is successful, Sandler said. The dog not only helps the child, but it also reduces family stress and bridges the connection between child and siblings.

"For me, it's always a journey upward," Sandler said.

Michelle Brier, events and marketing manager at Guiding Eyes, said they want to get other people to accept what they are doing.

"We are opening doors that have never been opened before," Sandler said.

By bringing service dogs to schools, they educate the public about the program, at the same time that gives a chance to train the dogs to become comfortable in different situations and environments.

Children with more severe autism are not given any priority in receiving a dog. Sandler said the children who have waited the longest on the waiting list are always on her mind, but she has to wait until the right dog is available.

Eligible children and families must live within a two-hour radius from the Yorktown Heights campus, one parents must stay on campus for five consecutive days and nights for training, the child must be between the ages of 2 and 10, the child must need the dog primarily for safety reasons, and the entire family must be committed to the training and care of the dog. Some applicants realize that it would be too much work for them, and don't go through the process.

Before taking home the dog, parents try to prepare their child for what's happening by talking about it, or getting a stuffed animal of the same color as the dog. Depending on where the child is on the spectrum, they may not fully understand it.

Brier explained that although placing 17 dogs with children may seem like a small number, the impact is much bigger. It heals not only the child, but the entire family and community.

During a recent bowling fundraiser, held at the Cortlandt Lanes and organized by a parent in hopes of raising more money to reduce the current waiting list time, more than 250 people in the community attended.

When Keith Altschuler, whose daughter received her dog three months ago, asked Rob Sparling, whose son has had his dog for two years, what's it been like to have the Heeling Autism dog, Sparling said, "There are no words."

Sandler said the two men shook hands in a long firm grasp and tears started rolling down their cheeks. This moment, she said, summarizes the impact Heeling Autism has on everyone involved.

Zarro agrees. "Danny is not the only recipient of Shade's gift," she said in a letter to Guiding Eyes. "My two daughters have had a smile on their face since that day in March. They consider themselves lucky to have a brother with autism, thanks to Shade. They are seeing firsthand that all people are different and that it is our differences and how we embrace them, that makes us who we are."

Dr. Elisa Cruz, a licensed clinical psychologist based in the Bronx, said in a letter provided by Guiding Eyes that evidence shows that trained service dogs for children with autism can provide numerous beneficial effects.

"The added protection a service dog offers can facilitate a family's ability to participate in outside activities, allowing them a much greater sense of normalcy and substantially reduced level of stress," she said.

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