Instructions
Research autism service agencies and organizations in your area. Most large cities have an advocacy group offering support to children with autism and their families. Include special schools or mental-health agencies in your search for these programs. Some regular school districts have a specially-designed program offering classes for special-needs children. Find out who these teachers and educational professionals are as they will become your allies in your quest to bring your dog together with autistic children.
Evaluate your dog in an objective and non-biased manner. Ask an experienced local dog-trainer whom you trust for his opinion on your dog's prospects on becoming a therapy dog for children with autism. Ask yourself (and honestly answer) if your dog is gentle, friendly, relaxed and well trained. These are the traits your dog will need.
Train your dog to sit, stay and lie down by using positive reinforcement methods such as the reward system. Ask your dog to perform those tasks and reward it when it does what you ask. Spend time with your dog and take it to public places so as to socialize it and help it become comfortable in a variety of diverse settings.
Sit in on a therapy program already in progress so that you can observe the interaction between the dog and the child. Ask questions of the dog's owner and find out how they got started in your area. Chances are, this person will have more children waiting for services than they can handle and may be able to give you some referrals and ideas to get you started.
Register your dog with a national registry such as The Delta Society or Therapy Dog International. Becoming a member of one of these organizations will give you credibility and liability insurance in the event something happens as a result of an interaction with your dog. Once you are registered and your dog has passed the evaluation process, send out letters and e-mails to the organizations about which you have learned during your research. Let them know that your dog is ready to be paired with an autistic child.
How to Train My Dog to Become an Autism Therapy Dog
If you have a dog that is well-behaved and great with kids, you may be considering training for work with autistic children. According to the Autism Society Of America, "Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life...children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities." Programs have been developed that pair autistic children and friendly dogs with remarkable results.