A 7-year old boy named Andre in Little Rock, Arkansas, has received a very special delivery today of his very own Autism Service Dog from SDWR.

LITTLE ROCK, AR, UNITED STATES, November 28, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Andre, a 7-year old boy living in Little Rock, Arkansas, has received a very special delivery today of his very own Autism Service Dog from Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers to help assist him and better communicate his needs. Based in Madison, Virginia, Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers, or “SDWR,” has a mission to provide specially-bred and trained dogs for people with invisible disabilities like Diabetes, PTSD, Seizure Disorders, or in the case of Andre - Autism Spectrum Disorder. SDWR has hundreds of service dogs working across the US and around the globe. SDWR is currently serving approximately 1,000 families.

Nick, a golden retriever Autism Service Dog, recently graduated from SDWR’s Service Dog Raiser Program where volunteers diligently raise puppies in training for over the course of approximately one year. Both the dogs and raisers must complete the foundation and skill set training provided through SDWR trainers at their facility in Virginia.


Nick is also an honored graduate of the SDWR Fallen Officer Puppy Program. The Fallen Officer Puppy Program, also known as “FOPP,” is an initiative by SDWR to pay respect to the legacy of service by fallen American police who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Nick is named in honor of fallen hero Police Officer Nicholas Rodman of Louisville Metro Police Department in Kentucky who succumbed to injuries sustained in a vehicle crash. Nick’s work as an Autism Service Dog with Andre will carry on in memoriam of Officer Rodman’s life of service before self.

Andre was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 2-years-old. Andre’s disability affects him in his family in many ways. Andre has a hard time staying the entire night in his own bed. He has a hard time transitioning especially if he is on TV or playing with phone. It can be hard for him taking turns and he can be very bossy which makes it difficult for him to make friends of his own age. He is a extremely picky eater and flapping is also a problem. In addition, Andre has a language delay and a mild motor delay that makes him a tripper and affects his fine motor skills. Andre’s family is hopeful that a service dog will act as a guardian for him and help keep him safe and comfort him.

Nick will assist in reducing the effects each diagnosis has on the family’s independence and daily life by working continuously with Andre. Since Nick is a service dog and covered under laws in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, he will be able to accompany Andre and his family everywhere - from restaurants, to school, and even to swimming lessons.

SDWR’s unique training program is what sets them apart from other non-profit service dog organizations. SDWR trainers will continue to return for training sessions with Andre, his family, and Nick every 3-4 months over the course of the next 18 months to continue working on Nick’s customized training, follow up training and training the human to make a successful team and public access certification.

Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers is a nonprofit organization based in Madison, Virginia, and relies on donations to help the organization in its mission, “Until there’s a cure...there’s a dog.” To make or donation or learn more about SDWR, please visit the website, https://www.sdwr.org. To learn more about Autism Service Dogs go to https://www.sdwr.org/service-dogs/autism/. To find out how you can volunteer as a puppy raiser visit https://www.sdwr.org/volunteer-opportunities/.

Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers
+1 540-543-2307
email us here
Beau Warren
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter

Autism Service Dog Feature: Maeve's Story

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.