Grizzly
Michele and Grizzly
Our son, Collin, was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at the age of four. From that point on, our lives were filled with an overwhelming amount of appointments and therapies, different diets, various behavior plans, etc.
By the time our son was ten years old, we knew we had to explore other avenues as well to help Collin with his high anxiety and frustration levels.
We first heard of Susquehanna Service Dogs when Collin and his dad were at a pool party for autistic children. Collin's dad overheard two moms talking about SSD and how much the one mom's child was helped with the dog they received. After joining their conversation and asking a number of questions, we knew this could be an answer for our son as well.
A few short weeks later, we found ourselves in the process of getting a companion dog for Collin. During the many steps in the companion dog process, we met Grizzly, a beautiful, sleek black Lab. He was so friendly and well behaved and he seemed to love playing with Collin. Collin and Grizzly seemed to connect during those meetings and after a serious play session, Grizzly rested underneath the table--with Collin lying right next to him on the floor! We knew then this could be the dog for Collin.
Grizzly finally came to live in his new home on August 17th, 2009 and Collin's life has not been the same since! Collin now feels like he has a very special friend by his side. When Collin is feeling out of control and stressed, he and Grizzly go up to Collin's room where Grizzly has a very calming effect on Collin. Collin feels like Grizzly understands his frustrations and he talks to Grizzly like he's a person.
After one particularly tough meltdown, we overheard Collin in his room say to Grizzly, "Grizzly, you always understand me. You always help me." We have seen positive changes in Collin's daily life. He still struggles with many things, but with Grizzly there, those struggles seem a little more tolerable for Collin. Having Grizzly is a little like having a live-in counselor!