Alice B. reviewed on + 3563 more book reviews
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On February 18, 1994 the Gardners made a fateful decision. They decided to go ahead and get a therapy dog, ostensibly a pet for their son Dale, who, then 5 had autism. Dale at that time was marginally verbal and devoted to his stuffed Mickey Mouse, Thomas the Tank and to following routines.
The dog, whom Dale named Henry after a character who was featured with Thomas the Tank would prove invaluable. He learned alongside with Henry. When Henry was being housebroken and rewarded with a treat each time he used the great outdoors, Nuala used this as a teaching moment for Dale. Dale, then 5 became fully toilet trained after seeing Henry master this skill. His drawing skills also improved. Shortly after Henry arrived, Dale drew a recognizable picture of a dog labelled "Henry." It was the first representational drawing he had made.
Nuala and Jamie Gardner would "talk" through the dog to teach Dale and communicate with him. They would pretend to "be" the dog and speak as if the dog were, as in "I love it when Dale plays with me," and "I wish Dale would share his blanket with me." In time, this method paid dividends. Dale's behavior became less autistic and by the time he was 7, was able to tolerate a birthday party. He was also able to accept seeing familiar objects in different settings, such as a tire being used as a swing. He had fewer meltdowns and ordinary words such as "okay," "proud" and "school" no longer sent him into a frenzy. By 2000, he was promoted to the local public school in his Scottish town.
Thanks to Henry, Dale's world expanded. He got to go to Disneyland for his 8th birthday
The dog, whom Dale named Henry after a character who was featured with Thomas the Tank would prove invaluable. He learned alongside with Henry. When Henry was being housebroken and rewarded with a treat each time he used the great outdoors, Nuala used this as a teaching moment for Dale. Dale, then 5 became fully toilet trained after seeing Henry master this skill. His drawing skills also improved. Shortly after Henry arrived, Dale drew a recognizable picture of a dog labelled "Henry." It was the first representational drawing he had made.
Nuala and Jamie Gardner would "talk" through the dog to teach Dale and communicate with him. They would pretend to "be" the dog and speak as if the dog were, as in "I love it when Dale plays with me," and "I wish Dale would share his blanket with me." In time, this method paid dividends. Dale's behavior became less autistic and by the time he was 7, was able to tolerate a birthday party. He was also able to accept seeing familiar objects in different settings, such as a tire being used as a swing. He had fewer meltdowns and ordinary words such as "okay," "proud" and "school" no longer sent him into a frenzy. By 2000, he was promoted to the local public school in his Scottish town.
Thanks to Henry, Dale's world expanded. He got to go to Disneyland for his 8th birthday
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