FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Clark/Samantha Widmer
Cell: 205-913-1420
Email: 4PawsforDamien@gmail.com
Autism Assistance and Multipurpose Service Dogs
Offer Independence and Safety
to Developmentally Disabled Children
Parents of children with disabilities from autism to ADHD are turning to specially trained service dogs to enrich the lives of their children. These dogs not only offer therapeutic companionship, but also can keep their partners safe while at the same time enhancing their independence.
Gardendale, Alabama – April 18, 2011 – 4 Paws for Ability, a nonprofit organization located in Xenia, Ohio, trains and places service dogs for persons with disabilities ranging from cerebral palsy to epilepsy to autism. They specialize in placements with children who are turned away by many other agencies due to their age. Their most requested and most often placed type of service dog is the autism assistance dog, which can help children and their families in surprising ways.
Eight-year-old Damien Widmer of Gardendale, Alabama, has autism in the form of PDD-NOS in addition to Tourette’s Syndrome, OCD, ADHD, Dysgraphia, Anxiety, Sensory integration issues, Executive Dysfunction and associated sleep disorders. Due to these disabilities, Damien may scream, cover his ears and hide in a corner, or end up in a meltdown or vapor lock when over stimulated by sounds, smells, touch, and routine changes. Damien rarely sleeps through the night, climbs and jumps off of everything he can get on, runs away if you let go of him at all, and has to be watched constantly. Most frightening for his parents, Damien has no fear. “He has no concept of personal safety,” says Jeff and Samantha. “Damien has no awareness of the danger of traffic, deep water, or the ill intentions of a stranger. Through an online search, they discovered 4 Paws For Ability™, a non-profit public 501c(3) organization that assists special needs families in obtaining canine service animals. 4 Paws is a training agency in Ohio that has a program specifically for children with ASDs in addition to its many other programs for people of all ages with various disabilities.
4 Paws for Ability is one of only a handful of organizations that will even consider placing a service dog with such a young child, many agencies will not place service dogs with children, or in homes where there are other pets. 4 Paws has no eligibility requirements beyond a physician’s statement that the person requesting a service dog has a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The service dog will be trained specifically for Damien with behavior modification (to calm meltdowns or vapor lock and give Damien the opportunity to self-soothe or self regulate himself before behavior gets out-of-control), tethering (to keep him from running off and give him independence), and search and rescue (for the times he manages to escape). It would also act as a “social magnet” making it easier for other children to approach Damien and make friends. Damien’s dad, Jeff Clark, says, “I would love to be able to take him out, but it is too difficult to monitor him and to calm him when needed without help, and people don’t understand his actions”.
The training of this invaluable four-pawed asset costs upwards of $22,000. Many trainers have long waiting lists with an expected wait of up to five years, but 4 Paws reduces that waiting time, by having parents volunteer to work with them to raise $13,000 in tax-deductible donations for 4 Paws for Ability, Inc. in order to qualify for service dog to be placed in their home. When the dog’s training is complete, which generally takes three to four months, the family will then go to Ohio for 12 days of intensive residential training. The family can expect the expenses for this trip to exceed $2,000. Damien has a fundraising event to be held on May 21st from 7-10pm at Sips N Strokes studio off of Hwy 280 and Cahaba Park Circle in Birmingham, Al. Please visit the Sips N Strokes website to register for this event www.sipsnstrokes.com. For more information on the family’s quest for a service dog, visit http://www.4pawsforability.org/dream.html#DamienWidmer or http://www.facebook.com/pages/4-Paws-for-Damien/170120089707189
The 4 Paws website www.4pawsforability.org states, “We have discovered a magic that exists between children and dogs, a magic that can become a life-saving miracle for a child paired with one of our Autism Assistance Dogs”. You can help bring some magic to Damien’s life by making a tax deductible donation to 4 Paws for Ability in Damien’s name. Every donation helps and no donation amount is too small!
Donations can be sent to:
4 Paws for Ability, Inc.
253 Dayton Ave
Xenia, Oh 45385
(Please include Damien’s name on the memo line)
(Picture of Ben from Referenced Site)
