Harriet’s Autism Assistance Dog

Harriet’s Autism Assistance Dog

Just4Children are raising £15,000 to be able to secure Hattie a much needed autism assistance dog.

Hattie is our incredible 9-year-old daughter. She has the biggest heart especially when it comes to animals. She is kind, empathic, and is always looking for ways to help animals in need. She faces daily challenges with dyspraxia, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, hypermobility, Autism, ADHD, anxiety, and a language disorder. Hattie had to be withdrawn from mainstream school in October 2023 due to autistic burnout, and after 18 months of waiting she is finally starting school at a specialist autistic farm school.

We strongly believe an assistance dog will hugely improve her quality of life, confidence and mental health as well as her ability to cope while out of the house. Currently, Hattie often struggles to leave the house due to anxiety and feeling overwhelmed, and as a family it means we all miss out on a lot, especially her little Brother.

Her assistance dog will be specially trained for her needs, it will be able to:

• Alert the adult in charge that Hattie is becoming overwhelmed and enable them to take prompt action therefore avoiding a stressful meltdown for Hattie.
• Offer deep pressure therapy to calm her anxiety
• Stop her self-harming behaviour
• The dog will have full access rights to be able to go anywhere she needs to – therefore Hattie will have greater access to the community without anxiety.
• Trained to collect items when she needs them (which she will not accept from adults during a meltdown), such as headphones or sensory toys.
• Enable her to finally return to her brother’s school and be part of family events there

Most importantly, a service dog would be a loyal friend to Harriet. Social interactions can be difficult for her, and having a nonjudgmental, loving companion by her side would boost her confidence and independence. An autism assistance dog would be an invaluable addition to her life, offering the comfort, stability, and security she needs to navigate just like her neurotypical peers.

Thank you