thedailytimes.com : Your 24/7 news source

If an autistic child with a Wilderwood service dog could speak, would the child say they had longed for a soft-faced quadrupedal savior?

Autism is a debilitating developmental disorder.

People diagnosed with autism exhibit a varying degree of functionality. Autistic people are labeled as being high-functioning or low-functioning, which merely gauges their ability to speak and interact with the outside world. However, each case is different as human lives are all distinctly unique.

Austin Dix was diagnosed with autism when he was 2½ years old. “We didn’t understand what it was. We had no experience,” his mother Kristin Dix said of the disorder. “Our biggest issue was his lack of speech. We didn’t have a concept of what we were facing.

“There’s a smart boy trapped in there, who can’t tell us what he’s thinking and wanting,” she said.

Kristin Dix submitted an application to Wilderwood Service Dogs in October 2007. Austin was then given some tests to match his personality with a service dog.

“Everything went very quick,” Kristin Dix said. “Because of Austin’s lack of speech we got a younger dog. It all fell into place.”

The going-rate for autism service dogs is between $12,000 and $14,000. The nonprofit organization, however, was also able to offer Oshea to the Dix family for $6,000.

Kristin Dix and her husband, Ron, were hesitant about purchasing Oshea. “We really had to talk about it. The conversations would have been shorter if we had a crystal ball (to see) the dog’s effects on our lives,” she said.

All five members of the Dix family came to Maryville in early May for the week-long service dog training camp.

“We’re a family,” said Kristin Dix. “What one deals with we all deal with — that’s what I tell my girls. So what we have to do is work together.”

Austin, an 8-year-old from northern Wisconsin, has now been with his dog, Oshea, for nearly a month.

The Dix family has seen great improvement during Austin’s short time with the 1-year-old golden retriever, said his mother. Austin was much more solitary before Oshea’s arrival, Kristin Dix said. He would sit and color or run around indiscriminately. Austin also would not initiate interaction.

“(Austin is) talking more now. It’s a pleasant surprise to hear,” she said. “We’re thrilled just to hear him say the words. (Austin) says them because he wants the reaction.
“He wants interaction.”

Austin likes Oshea, and he is tethered to the dog most the time. Oshea has proven to be quite an attention-getter for Austin. The boy recently brought his dog to school, and his classmates were really excited to see Oshea. “They turned to talk to (Austin) first,” his mother said.

People will also see Austin holding on to his golden retriever in a store and come over to ask about the dog, said Kristin Dix. “At least it’s something. He wouldn’t otherwise interact with them,” she said. “There wouldn’t even be any acknowledgment.

“Part of our (family’s) hope is that (Oshea) will encourage interaction,” she said.
Austin and Oshea have a really good time with each other.

“There’s definitely a little rough-housing — they’re loving it. They have even made up their own games,” Kristin Dix said. “Both of them like to run, so they’ll be running laps up and down the hallways.”

Austin also likes to round up all of Oshea’s toys, run down the hall, open a door and throw the toys in the room. “Oshea will just look at him. You can tell there’s something going on (between them),” Kristin Dix said.

The Dix family lives on a lake and their three children love to swim. The water has only warmed up enough for the children to swim once this year, said Kristin Dix. When Austin jumped in the lake, Oshea followed him.

“It was fun to see (Oshea) jump in the lake and splash all around. They had a really good time,” his mom said.

The family was also able to eat together at a restaurant for the first time in years, she said. “We never thought (the dog) would make that much of a difference,” Kristin Dix said. Austin’s behavior used to be so erratic, she said. Everything was different with Oshea sitting calmly under the table by Austin’s side, she said.

Things seem to progressing almost daily for Austin. Oshea is trained to jump up on the boy to break his self-stimulating behaviors. So, on the command of “Oshea up,” the 68-pound golden retriever will jump up on him. “Austin thinks it’s funny,” his mother said.

“Out of the blue on Tuesday, Austin said ‘Oshea up, up’ and Oshea jumped up on him. He understood what he was saying even though (Austin) doesn’t have clear speech,” Kristin Dix said. “It was so awesome. His dad and I were home, and both of us ran into the hallway. We were praising both of them. They did something incredible.

“They were just having fun, but we saw something significant,” she said. “Whole doors seem to be opening. It’s really exciting to see that in a short amount of time.”