I previously wrote about the “Milo & Kate” demo for Kinect (at that time “Project Natal”) for the XBOX 360. The possibility of using a program like this for therapy seems obvious for teaching empathy or helping autistic individuals practice picking up on body language or facial cues.

Here is a recently released video from TED showing off the development in this software over the last year.

Frankly, the “gamey” elements are the most distracting part of the video. I don’t see the need for stars and points climbing up the screen when the draw is the interaction with a virtual character.

I recently wrote about the amazing difference a service dog can make for a child with autism.

Colleen Bell contacted me about getting the word out about helping their autistic son, Jude, receive a service dog.

Jude is an amazing 6-year-old boy who loves to laugh and to make other’s laugh.  He’s smart, handsome, funny, loving, lovable, clever, and honest.  He tries harder than most anyone you’ll meet.  He makes us proud every single day. He also has Autism.  

Jude has qualified for an Autism Assistance dog from 4 Paws for Ability, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Xenia, Ohio, which provides service dogs to families and children that struggle with life’s daily challenges and who would otherwise be turned away by many other agencies.

There are many ways a service dog would help Jude:

• In potentially dangerous situations, Jude will be tethered to the dog to prevent him from running away. 
• The dog will assist Jude with therapy, provide sensory input, interrupt undesired behaviors, and be a comforting and calming companion. 
• It would also act as a “social magnet,” making it easier for other children to approach Jude. In addition, the dog will be trained in search and rescue, to track and find him if and when he would run away. 
• Mostly, it would be a huge source of relief for Jude’s family, empowering them to lead a fuller, happier life.

While Jude has been accepted to receive a service dog, his family needs to raise $13,000 (which is only a small part of the cost of training).  I have contributed.  Don’t click away, step up and make a difference in a child’s life today.

I recently twittered about the surprising uses of service dogs. We are all familiar with service dogs used by individuals with blindness or other visual impairments. However, there are other ways these wonderful dogs help people with disabilities. 

One of my clients uses a service dog to help identify seizures before they occur and to provide protection during a seizure.

Service dogs can also help children with disabilities such as autism.  The Journal News recently covered this topic:

The dogs purpose is to provide safety and therapeutic companionship to children with autism, a neurological disorder marked by delays in speech and social interaction.

From a therapeutic standpoint, the dog serves as a point of focus for autistic children, enabling them to maintain calm.

From a safety perspective, the dogs wear a service vest to which the child is tethered while in public places.

The result is freedom for both parent and child.

Routine outings to stores or to the sports events … are made more manageable and more enjoyable…

Of course, there is a sizable cost associated with providing a service dog. 

Each dogs training costs roughly $45,000. As with the guide dogs that the nonprofit Guiding Eyes trains and places, its autism-service dogs are provided free, with the cost entirely offset by private grants and donations.

While autism-service dogs are becoming more prevalent, many organizations that provide them require families to pay $10,000 to $15,000.

For more information about service dogs for children with autism, see Guiding Eyes website.

Very informative and detailed video about autism.