PAWS workshops for Ballymena

The workshops are for parents who have a child aged three to 16 diagnosed with autism to find out about how to train their own (age immaterial) or a new dog to benefit a child with autism and the whole family.

Parents have to attend all three workshops and will be given advice on selecting a dog and training techniques as well as practical demonstrations and discussions.

Following the workshops parents can access telephone support, an online forum and a family support network.

Families nationwide are already finding amazing results; some have found their dog to be crucial when intervening in ‘meltdown’ behaviour; others have found the dog useful when developing a child’s verbal skills; and others can happily walk to the school gates so long as their new best friend walks beside them.

One parent said: “The day we brought Claude home from the breeder, was the day that Jude actually spoke directly to someone for the first time.”