Xena Hickey

Autism Light #469 is Xena Hickey, The Warrior Puppy.

Xena the Warrior Puppy is a Pitbull dog who lives in Johns Creek, Georgia. Xena was a severely abused rescue dog adopted from the Dekalb Animal Services, who over the past 6 years has been a therapy dog for a now 14 year old boy with autism named Jonny Hickey. Xena is an Autism Light for having a positive impact in improving Jonny's journey with autism. Xena won the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Dog of the Year Award in 2013. Xena and Jonny have their own 501c3 non-profit and over the past six years have been raising awareness for autism and the prevention of animal cruelty.

The following video tells the story of Xena and Jonny Hickey and was featured when Xena won the prestigious ASPCA Dog of the Year Award in 2013.




Xena arrived at the Dekalb Animal Services on September 25, 2012 and after months of physical rehabilitation was able to join Jonny's family on February 11, 2013, and officially adopted on March 25, 2013. Linda Hickey stated, "We've spent thousands of dollars on therapy, and I just said to myself that is the best therapy, standing, four-legs, in my family room (As quoted by Pawpulous.com, June 14, 2017)."

This video was made by Jonny to promote April as Autism Awareness Month and the prevention of Animal Cruelty Month.



Although this story was born six years ago, it is remarkable the difference Xena continues to make in Jonny's life and for others as they raise awareness of autism and animal cruelty. There next publicized event is a "Spread the Words" 5K Fun Run/Walk on October 29, 2019, to benefit the Special Needs Community and Animal Rescue.

If you wish to keep tabs on Xena visit her website at Xena the Warrior Puppy and check out her social media pages below. 

• YouTube Channel for Xena The Warrior Puppy
• Facebook Page for Xena the Warrior Puppy

Xena will be added to the Autism Light Animal Page today. Xena is an inspiring example of a rescue dog who is making a difference in the life and development of a young person with autism. We wish Jonny and Xena all the best in the future.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Caddie the Dog

Autism Light #460 is Caddie the Dog.

Caddie is a Labrador Retriever/Golden Retriever mix dog who lives in Newquay in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. Caddie is a therapy dog for a 13 year old boy with autism named Joel Sayer. Caddie is an Autism Light for having a positive impact in improving Joel's journey with autism. In 2017, Caddie was a finalist in the Crufts hero dog competition by Eukanuba.

The following is the YouTube video made about Joel and Caddie in the Eukanuba Friends for Life hero dog competition in 2017.



Caddie helps Joel with a variety of everyday tasks and provides an anchor for his day to day experiences that can sometimes be frightening to a teenager with autism. Joel's mother Janet said about the intervention skills of Caddie that, "When Joel can't cope, he paces around, but Caddie will nudge him, Joel will start stroking him and he'll come back into our world (As quoted by Emma Cox, RadioTimes.com, March 8, 2018)."

Dogs for Good: Through the sharing of their amazing life story Joel and Caddie are encouraging people throughout the United Kingdom to support the charity Dogs for Good. Their efforts have raised over 32,000 pounds to enable other individuals with autism to obtain a therapy dog like Caddie. Joel said, "Fundraising is great, especially when it's for someone who helped you. It's the best way of saying thank you (As quoted by Emma Cox, RadioTimes.com, March 8, 2018)."

Caddie will be added to the Autism Light Animal Page today. Caddie is a fine example of a dog who is making a difference through a therapeutic and loving relationship with a young person with autism. We wish Joel and Caddie the best in the future.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Benji the Labrador

Autism Light #447 is Benji the Labrador.

Benji is a Labrador dog who lives in Aberdeen, Scotland in the United Kingdom. Benji is a therapy dog for a 7 year old boy with autism named Declan McInnes-Pirie. Benji is an Autism Light for the positive impact he has on Declan's life as he stays by his side as a faithful dog.

Declan's mother Phionna was encouraged to try a dog for her son after she read the book A Friend Like Henry written by Nualah Gardner, who was Autism Light #58.  Henry is another dog who from Scotland who made a difference for a child with autism.

Phionna McInnes-Pirie says this about the light Benji has shined in her son Declan's life.

Benji has been wonderful, he has really had his personality tested with Declan and he has risen to the challenge every time. Never have I seen such loyalty, patience and compassion. 

There has been many a happy tear shed in this house. You read about it, sure, but until you see it happen with your own child - well that's some experience.

It's worth everything we put ourselves through. Getting Benji was the best thing we could have done (STVNews, Victoria Pease, Boy's Best Friend: Autistic 7 year-olds bond with Labrador Benji, March 19, 2016).

Two specific areas where Benji has helped Declan with his some of the effects of his autism are preventing him from running away and providing pressure therapy. A harness and handle keeps Benji and Declan together in public and offers a barrier to his wandering. Benji is able to provide pressure therapy by placing his dog paw or leg on Declan, which helps decrease his anxiety.

Benji is in the process of being trained by Assistance Dogs International (ADI) and when completed he will be able to go more places with Declan and become an official autism therapy dog. For more information about Benji the Labrador read the article on STVNews by Victoria Pease (Boy's Best Friend: Autistic 7 year-olds bond with Labrador Benji, March 19, 2016)

Benji will be added to the Autism Light Animal Page today. Benji is a fine example of a dog who is making a difference through his therapeutic and loving relationship with a young person with autism. We wish Benji and Declan the best in the future.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Tara Triantafilo

Autism Light #435 is Tara Triantafilo.

Tara is a family cat who lives in Bakersfield, California. She is owned by the Roger and Erica Triantafilo family. In May of 2014 a dog attacked the family's then 4 year old son Jeremy, who has autism. Tara is an Autism Light because she saw the attack and fought off the dog, saving Jeremy from more serious physical harm.

In May of 2014 a Labrador-Chow mix named Scrappy who lived next door to Jeremy Triantafilo grabbed the boy's leg and started shaking the boy back and forth. Tara ran outside and used her feline body to literally push Scrappy off of Jeremy.  Video surveillance of the confrontation showed the determination of Tara to intervene when the dog was attacking her family.

Here is a news story on Tara the Cat being proclaimed a hero on the Today Show that aired May 15, 2014.

A clip of the encounter between Tara and Scrappy on YouTube went viral and was viewed more than 24 million times (Cat Tara gets Award for Saving 6-year-old Autistic Boy from being attacked by a Dog, Daily Mail, June 19, 2015).

Here is a video of a news story that an ABC News affiliate in Bakersfield, California did with Jeremy Triantafilo about his cat Tara.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: In 2015, Tara, a cat, received the annual "Hero Dog" award from The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Los Angeles.

Since the attack Tara and Jeremy have developed a closes bond as one can imagine. Special thanks to Tara for helping save Jeremy from a vicious dog. Tara is representative of the many cats around the world who have been an extraordinary shining light for humans with autism. Tara will be the 4th Cat and the 20th Animal added today to the Autism Light Animal Page.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Teddy Morris

Autism Light #422 is Teddy Morris.

Teddy Morris is a golden doodle dog who lives in Jackson County, Michigan. He is one years old and serves as an autism service dog to a boy with autism named Sam Morris. Teddy is an Autism Light for the positive difference he has made in the life of Sam Morris.

The Jackson County community helped raise funds to help purchase Teddy for Sam. The following is a news story about how Teddy has helped Sam cope better with his autism.




Teddy and Sam are always together. Two contributions that Teddy makes is he helps prevent Sam from wandering and keeps him calm.

Stephani Morris said, "When he is having a hard time, Teddy will usually be able to pick up on that and help him through that process (WILX.com, Haley Nelson, July 17, 2015)."

Teddy will be added to the Autism Light Animal Page today. Teddy is a fine representative of autism service dogs that are hard at work around the world day in and day out. We wish Teddy and Sam the best in the future.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Danielle Jacobs and Samson

---

In Memoriam
Updated on February 7, 2016

---

Danielle Jacobs (Autism Light #414) died on February 4, 2016 (CBS News, Woman Killed by Police Had Viral Autism-Awareness Video, February 5, 2016). This post will remain at Autism Light in her memory. She will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll and remembered at the Autism Rest blog.

---

Autism Lights #414 are Danielle Jacobs and Sampson. 

Danielle Jacobs and her dog Sampson are intertwined in this story, so it is fitting that they are both named an Autism Light together. Danielle Jacobs is 24 years and has the form of autism known as Asperger's. Sampson is her 4 year old rottweiler that she acquired from HALO Animal Rescue in Phoenix. Danielle Jacobs and her dog Sampson are Autism Lights because Danielle opened herself up by sharing a video of her experience on YouTube where Sampson as a true canine hero comforts her and alerts her to self harm.

Danielle shared the video of Samson comforting her during a meltdown on YouTube and it received over 5 million views on YouTube and was one of the Top Ten Videos in all of YouTube for the week of June 2, 2015.

Danielle Jacobs wrote this description to the video that she uploaded to YouTube. "This is what having aspergers is like. Please no negative comments this really happened and it's not easy to open myself and share what it's like on a daily basis. This is what's considered a meltdown. Yes Samson is alerting. I trained him to alert to depressive episodes and self harm not both but he alerted. It appears the response is late but it's actually supposed to be as I'm coming out of the meltdown as I tend to have a panic attack after."

Danielle Jacobs told Buzzfeed News that after she got Sampson she "immediately began training him for service work for Asperger's syndrome, PTSD, TBI, and anxiety disorder. He alerts to meltdowns, anger, depressive episodes, flashbacks and nightmares, stimming, provides balance and counterbalance, and alerts to panic attacks (Buzzfeed News, June 16, 2015, Alan White, An Autistic Woman Has Bravely Shared a Video of Her Dog Comforting Her)."

Sampson has successfully passed his CGC (Canine Good Citizen) and CGCA (Canine Community) tests and PAT (Public Access Test) (Buzzfeed News, June 16, 2015, Alan White, An Autistic Woman Has Bravely Shared a Video of Her Dog Comforting Her).

Susan Dunne wrote an opinion piece for the Autism Daily Newscast about Sampson being a hero. She describes Sampson's critical role as an autism therapy dog as follows:

Sampson typifies what makes animals so special - he does not intervene with reasoning (pointless at this stage anyway), with pleading or restraint, nor does he ignore it and walk away. He persists, he stays with his owner, lets her know that he is not giving up on her even though she may at this point have given up on herself. He is there for her, bringing a safe warm presence into a broken place. He reaches across the despair and hurt but doesn't try to control it. He is in there with her for as long as it takes and he wins her round as she accepts his presence and reaches out to hug him (Autism Daily Newscast, June 17, 2015, Susan Dunne, Opinion: Self-harm Video Shows Heroism of a Dog).

You can read more about Danielle Jacobs and Samson at these online stories.

• Autism Speaks, June 16, 2015, This Woman Bravely Shares What It's Like to Have a Meltdown
• CBS News, June 16, 2015, Service Dog Calms Asperger's Meltdown
• The Independent, June 22, 2015, This Is What Having Asperger's Is Like

Social Media: Danielle Jacobs is increasing autism awareness through the videos on her personal experiences that she has uploaded to her YouTube Channel.

Special thanks to Danielle Jacobs for having the courage to share this video so that millions can learn about autism and the role a therapy dog can have. Danielle Jacobs is representative of the many people with autism that are trying to raises awareness of their condition. Sampson is likewise a fine dog to represent the many therapy animals who are unsung heroes.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Roxy the Pitbull

Autism Light #395 is Roxy the Pitbull.

Roxy/Courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society

Roxy is a 60 pound female Pit Bull Terrier who was adopted by Joey Granados and his family. She was adopted on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2014 from the Best Friends Animal Society shelter in Los Angeles, California. Joey is a 14 year old who has Asperger's Syndrome. Roxy is an Autism Light because her relationship with Joey Granados helped him hug his mother for the first time and improve in his social relationships.

The following is a video about the impact Roxy has had on Joey Granados and his family.

Amanda Granados told TODAY.com, "For all those years, he wouldn't hold my hand, he wouldn't hug me--it was all part of the autism--but this dog has taught him how to give and show affection. He holds my hand now! He hugs me! The first time I got a kiss on the cheek was when Roxy came home (TODAY.com, Laura T. Coffey, April 27, 2015)."

Joey Granados himself described the impact that Roxy has had on his life when he said, "I didn't have too many friends growing up, but then we got Roxy and I've been able to make friends ever since (TODAY.com, Laura T. Coffey, April 27, 2015)."

Special thanks to Roxy for being an Autism Light. Roxy is representative of the thousand of autism therapy dogs around the world who are making life easier for individuals with autism. We wish Roxy and Joey many years of friendship.

Roxy will be added to the Autism Light Animal Page today. Roxy is the second Pit Bull breed to be featured on Autism Light. The first was Karma. That means the Pit Bull breed at this time is second only to the Golden Retriever in being highlighted on Autism Light.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo of Roxy was used with permission of the Best Friends Animal Society, an animal shelter with a no-kill mission.

Thula the Cat

Autism Light #358 is Thula the Cat.

Thula is a one year old Maine Coon Cat who lives in Market Horborough, England in the United Kingdom. Thula is a therapy cat to a 5 year old girl with autism named Iris Grace Halmshaw. The story of Iris Grace Halmshaw was originally featured at Autism Light in July of 2013 when she was named Autism Light #285.  Thula is an Autism Light for the way in which she helps serve as an autism therapy cat to Iris Grace. Thula helps young Iris Grace to overcome anxiety in social situations and cope with everyday routines such as getting her hair washed.

Puss in Boots :-) Thula to Iris - ''See Iris, if I can wear them, you can too'' pic.twitter.com/JKkNtJ1uYm
— Iris Grace Painting (@IrisPainting) July 26, 2014

Petango writes this about the Maine Coon Cat breed, which is the official cat of the State of Maine in the United States.

Unlike some other people-oriented cat breeds, Maine coon cats are not overly dependent on their human family. Instead of pestering you for attention, they will remain close by for companionship. Not usually “lap cats,” they prefer to sit beside you instead of on top of you. Maine coon cats make great buddies for kids and generally socialize well with other pets (Petango).

Arbella Carter-Johnson, Iris' mother, told Bored Panda, "Thula has lowered [Iris'] daily anxieties in life and keeps Iris calm, but equally has the effect of encouraging her to be more social. She will talk more to Thula, saying little phrases like 'sit cat (Bored Panda).'"

Online Resources: You can read more about the heartwarming friendship between Thula the cat and Iris Grace in these online articles.

• Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks did a feature about the special bond between Thula and Iris.
• Bored Panda.  There are many beautiful pictures of Thula and Iris Grace in this Bored Panda article on Thula the cat that you will enjoy.
• Buzz Feed. Buzz Feed explains in their article on Thula that she is more than a therapy cat but a best friend to Iris Grace. 

Special thanks to Thula for being an Autism Light and helping Iris Grace Halmshaw in her life with autism. Without a doubt some of the amazing things that Iris Grace Halmshaw is able to do with her painting would not be possible without the devotion of her therapy cat Thula on her side. If you want to read about other cats at Autism Light you can search for them with the label "Cat".

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

JJ's Chickens

Autism Light #354 are JJ's Chickens.
  

Joshua James (JJ) Hart is a four year old boy with autism who lives in DeBary, Florida. JJ's Chickens have made a tremendous difference in his life over the past three years. Currently he has three chickens named Acorn, Nugget and Snow. JJ calls them his "ducks". JJ's Chickens are Autism Light because of the therapeutic help they provide for JJ.

Ashleigh Hart, JJ's mother, describes the help the chickens provide for her son and his autism in this way: 

JJ’s chickens really helped him come out of his shell! He is physically active and social. The chickens helped give JJ something to look forward to. They love him with no conditions and in turn, he loves them. When he comes home from school, he goes out, he sees his chickens, gives them treats and plays with them and is content. 
They have helped him physically, mentally, socially and even in terms of his diet (he eats the hens’ eggs). The chickens encouraged him to speak. He started making sounds and mimicking them when he was younger. (As quoted by Alex Strickland for Autism Daily Newscast, March 13, 2014).





JJ Hart's family acquired the chickens before any city zoning issue or controversy surfaced in their community about private ownership of chickens. But after they had been with JJ for a year, JJ's Chickens got packaged into a one year pilot program to regulate them within the  City of DeBary, Florida. Then in 2013, the City Council voted to end the program and prohibit chickens, including JJ's Chickens, from being in the city limits anymore. The Hart family hired an attorney and were victorious in this important case for the autism community. In the end, because the chickens were being used for therapy for a person with a disability, JJ's family received a special accommodation from the city council permiting three chickens at a time to be at their property in DeBary, Florida for as long as JJ lives in the home (Orlando Sentinel, December 11, 2013). For more information on this civic disability case visit JJ's Chickens website.

The Autism Daily Newscast reported that "Dr. Emily Forrest, a developmental behavioral pediatrician for Florida Hospital for Children voiced that although chickens are unconventional in the use of Autism therapy as dogs and horses are more commonly used JJ. has bonded with them and made progress (Autism Daily Newscast, December 7, 2013)."

Social Media: If you would like to keep track of JJ's Chickens join the Facebook Group called Save JJ HART's "Ducks".

JJ's Chickens are the first chickens to be honored at Autism Light and a link to this article will be placed today on the Animals Page at Autism Light. It is possible that chickens could help some other person or child with autism somewhere in the world. We wish JJ the best in his life and hope his chickens will continue to be a blessing to him in his development.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The photos in this post were used with permission of Ashleigh Hart.

Karma the Pitbull

Autism Light #353 is Karma the Pitbull.

Karma is a Pitbull Dog who is a special friend to a 6 year old girl named Lacy, who has autism. Karma is an Autism Light for the difference she makes in Lacy's life by showing affection and sensitivity to her needs. Karma is the first Pitbull dog to be named an Autism Light and she will be added to the Autism Light Animal Page today.

Here is a video of Lacy and Karma interacting.


Karma has been friends with Lacy since she was a baby.  "Karma has never had professional therapy training, but her acute understanding of Lucy's needs has been a blessing to the entire family (The Autism Site)."

Special thanks to Karma for being an Autism Light. Karma is an example that all dogs are unique, and a natural born autism therapy dog can come forth even from a breed that is not known for being kid friendly.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Note: We are unaware of the geographical location of Karma, so this post uniquely is not classified by location of the Autism Light.

Golden Retriever Puppies of LionPaws

Autism Light #349 is the Golden Retriever Puppies of LionPaws.

LionPaws is a partership between Paws4People and The LionHeart School in Alpharetta, Georgia. Paws4People sends Golden Retriever puppies to help the students with autism at The LionHeart School. It is a win-win situation as the puppies are being socialized to be future service dogs for injured war veterans who have Post-Traumic Stress Disorder. The Golden Retriever Puppies of LionPaws are Autism Light for how their presence helps the children with autism at The LionHeart School. They will be added today to the Autism Light Animal Page.

Here is a news story from USA Today on the LionPaws program.



Autism Speaks and NBC News 11 in Atlanta also did features on the Golden Retriever puppies in the LionPaws program.

The LionPaws program describes the benefit of their partnership as follows:

LionPaws is the only program of its kind in the nation, where students with special needs help socialize future Service Dogs. Many children with special needs have a natural affinity and comfort level with animals, so being around the puppies is beneficial for both the students and the puppies. Research indicates that animal interventions provide health benefits such as reducing anxiety levels, helping with depression and fear as well as facilitating social interactions (LionPaws Website).

The following was posted on Twitter about Austin and Memphis, representatives of these adorable Golden Retriever puppies.

Today's training was a ride on @MARTASERVICE for AUSTIN and MEMPHIS! #lionpaws #lionpawspdc #marta #paws4people pic.twitter.com/1T4TQg1SGI
— LionPaws PDC (@LionPaws_PDC) June 17, 2014

Special thanks to the Golden Retriever puppies in the LionPaws program and their human handlers who made this light to autism possible. Hopefully this concept of puppies learning socialization from students with autism will continue at The Lion School and be replicated in other schools in the future.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Spike the Lizard

Autism Light #306 is Spike the Lizard.

Spike is a pet gecko who lives in Hurdsfield in Chesire County, England. He is the pet of a 10 year old boy with Asperger's named Callum Lake. Spike is an Autism Light because of how his presence has transformed Callum Lake's life.

Callum's family gave him Spike after he asked for a pet lizard. Callum and Spike have formed a special bond. In fact, Karen Beech, Callum's mother, said "As soon as he held him, he fell in love (Read More at the Autism News Article on Spike the Lizard)."

Callum said this about Spike: "Looking after Spike is really fun. I've started getting up really early in the mornings so I can sit and eat my breakfast with him before school (Read More at the News Article by the Express on Spike the Lizard)."

Karen Beech is elated with the growth that Spike is inspiring in he son's life. She said, "Spike may be small, but he has had a huge impact on Callum's life and it's heart-warming to see him so much more confident and independent with family and at home (Read More at the Article at the Macclessfield Express on Spike the Lizard)."

Here are some articles written on Spike and how he is improving the life of Callum Lake.

• Autistic Boy's Life is Transformed By His Pet Lizard
• The Curious Case of the Lizard Helping Boy With Autism
• Autistic Boy's Friendship with Pet Gecko Scales New Heights

Special thanks to Spike for being an Autism Light to Callum Lake. Spike becomes the first Lizard to be named an Autism Light. He is yet another example of how diverse animals can have therapeutic value to some children with autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Autism Awareness Horse

Autism Light #294 is the Horse Autism Awareness.

Autism Awareness was an 8 year old race horse from California. He was injured in a race on April 14, 2013, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and he had to be euthanized because of the extent of his injuries. Johnny Taboada owned Autism Awareness and gave him his name to draw attention to autism, because his 13 year old son Riley has autism. Autism Awareness is the first horse to be named an Autism Light and the horse's name will be placed on the Autism Light Memorial Roll today.

Autism Awareness was more than a horse to those who followed him and to his owner Johnny Taboada, who told Horse Racing Nation, "He has something we can't explain; the horse is here for a reason, and it's a bigger purpose than racing (Source)."

The Blood-Horse staff at BloodHorse.com wrote a tribute to Autism Awareness on their site and they described the horse in this way. 

The 8-year-old son of Tannersmyman out of Sharp Victor mare Lady Essex, was bred in California by Jim Eaton, Paul Arndt, Dave Marabela, and Mr. and Mrs. Terry Smith. Johnny Taboada purchased the colt for $1,000 at the 2006 California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association's Northern California yearling sale.

Named to help draw attention to autism, a cognitive development disorder from which Taboada's 13-year-old son suffers, the colt earned $356,732. Autism Awareness was trained by Genaro Vallejo for all of his 39 starts and held a record of 5-5-2.

Autism Awareness scored his biggest victories in the 2008 El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) and the 2009 Berkeley Stakes (gr. III). He also placed in the Governor's Handicap at Sacramento and the Bull Dog Stakes at Fresno. [Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/78454/popular-runner-autism-awareness-dies#ixzz2aFlG7zo4]

After the race that caused his death, Johnny Taboada told Horse Racing Nation, "This is by far the saddest day of my racing career. Autism Awareness has always had a very special place in my heart. This is very hard to swallow, he was one of a kind (Source)."

Each race Autism Awareness was in he was able to raise awareness to the cause of autism by his name. May his life show other owners that the name of a race horse can have an impact on advocacy. Autism Awareness is a fitting Autism Light to represent horses around the world who are making a difference for autism, many through horse therapy. We expect he won't be the last horse to be an Autism Light.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Ruby Tingum

Autism Light #288 is Ruby Tingum.

Ruby Tingum is a Golden Retriever who lives with Bruce and Caroline Tingum's family in Encinitas, California (part of San Diego County). She is an autism service dog who is very gentle around children and received her training from Tender Loving Canines Assistance Dogs, Inc. Ruby's role is to protect Garrett Tingum, a 10 year old boy with severe autism. Ruby Tingum is an Autism Light for the help she provides to the Tingum family and Garrett Tingum as he navigates through life.

In addition to autism, Garrett Tingum has mild cerebral palsy, apraxia (motor planning disorder), and pica (eats non-edible items). Garrett's most dangerous behavior is his tendency to escape his home and run into the street or go into people's homes. Ruby has been especially trained to find Garrett when he goes missing. Here is a video on Ruby's story of comforting the Tingum family.

   

Caroline Tingum described Ruby and Garrett's friendship in the above video, "Garrett has a friend. He's never had a real friend before. You know you don't think of children with autism as being lonely just because they can't express it. Ruby has filled that void I think."

Special thanks to Ruby and all the talented and loving dogs who are making a difference around the world for autism. If you liked this post you may like to read about other Autism Lights with the label "Animal". Ruby Tingum has also been featured on our Golden Light blog as Golden Light #8.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Autumn Moser

Autism Light #282 is Autumn Moser.

Autumn Moser is a 9 year old Golden Retriever from Ellsworth, Wisconsin. She is owned by Jason and Melissa Moser. In July, 2012, when Autumn was 8 years old, she was instrumental in finding a missing boy named Scotty (Scott) who has autism. Autumn Moser is an Autism Light because she was able to find a missing boy with autism even though she had no special search and rescue training. Autumn is the third Golden Retriever to be featured at Autism Light. Others included Jim and Nuala Gardner of Scotland who had a Golden Retriever named Henry and Sophie Perlzwig, a Golden Retriever in New York.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 3, 2012, a little boy named Scott Meyer went missing from his Pierce County, Minnesota home. Scott Meyer was 5 years old at that time and is nonverbal because of his autism. The community searched for 20 hours to find the boy and were concerned because of the hot weather at the time. Jason Moser had his Golden Retriever Autumn come with him as he searched for Scott. At about 8am on July 4, 2012, Autumn led his owner Jason to an area hidden under a tree near a small slope where they found Scott Meyer about a half a mile from his home but near a dangerous body of water (Source).

The following is a news story on the rescue of Scott Meyer by Autumn and her owner Jason Moser.

The Two Little Cavaliers blog praised Autumn's efforts in this way.

After 20 hours of the community searching for the lost little boy it was an 8 year old Golden Retriever with no special search and rescue or other service dog training that eventually helped to find the little boy. A dog that was almost left home because of the heat and no special training. Jason Moser who is Autumn the Golden Retriever’s owner said he decided to bring her in the end because she loves kids and loves giving them kisses (Source).  

Read more information on Autumn finding Scott Meyer at the following blogs and news websites.

• Two Little Cavaliers Blog
• The Daily Golden Blog
• The Star Tribune
• The Huffington Post

Special thanks to Autumn and all the talented and loving dogs who are making a difference around the world for autism. If you liked this post you may like to read about other Autism Lights with the label "Animal".

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Billy Booth

---

Autism Light Classic
Updated on June 18, 2014. 

---

Autism Light #241 is Billy Booth. 

Billy is a cat who lives with the Booth family at the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Billy was a stray and abandoned cat that was taken in by the charity Cat's Protection and then subsequently adopted by the Booth family. Billy is an Autism Light because of the life-changing impact he has made in the life of Fraser Booth, a 6 year old boy with autism who is part of his adopted family. This post on Billy Booth was updated in honor of the book When Fraser Met Billy being published in February, 2014. The book was written by Louise Booth, Fraser's mother, and you can purchase it on Amazon.com.

Here is a video about when Fraser met Billy the cat.


When Fraser was 4, his mother Louise said:

"If Fraser is around or playing in the garden, Billy is never far away. It is like he is watching Fraser and calming his behaviour. He always appears when Fraser is getting upset and offfers his head close to Fraser's to reassure him and recently, when Fraser was poorly, Billy sat on his lap all day. They say animals can sense things, but Billy seems to know before anybody else if Fraser is going to get upset (DailyMail.com, Liz Hull, June 15, 2012)." 

Mrs. Booth added, "Bill has made a complete difference to our family life, he's taken away the stress, he's added happiness and an air of calm, he's just been amazing (DailyMail.com, Liz Hull, June 15, 2012)."

Autism Light first wrote about Billy the Cat in 2012, and now in 2014 their relationship is changing but still important. Fraser's mother says:

Fraser’s relationship with Billy, meanwhile, continues to evolve as he grows less dependent on his furry friend. “It’s a different relationship because Fraser isn’t as intense a person as he was,” says Booth. “Now they really are best buddies. Before, Billy was very much like a minder, looking out for Fraser all the time (Scotsman.com, Ruth Walker, 2/8/2014).

Social Media: You can follow Billy and Fraser on the Facebook Page for their book called When Fraser Met Billy.

Special thanks to Billy Booth for being a hero to a boy with autism named Fraser. Billy Booth is a wonderful representative for cats at Autism Light. If you want to read about other cats at Autism Light you can search for them with the label "Cat".

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Sophie Perlzweig

Autism Light #208 is Sophie Perlzweig.

Sophie Perlzweig is a 5 year old Golden Retriever that is a trained autism therapy dog. Sophie visits Floral Park Memorial High School in Floral Park, New York every other Tuesday to interact with autism students who are in the after-school program called Promoting Academics through Life Skills (PALS). Sophie is an Autism Light for the contribution she makes in the lives of PALS students with autism.

Sophie is owned by Roni Perlzweig of Bayside, Queens in New York City. Roni Perlzweig is a math teacher at Floral Park Memorial High School and she has been bringing Sophie to the PALS program at her school since January, 2011 (Source). The following is a video of Sophie's interaction with the autistic students.




Special thanks to Sophie for being an Autism Light. Sophie is a fine example of how autism therapy dogs can help in temporary school settings.


Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Mushers

Autism Light #149 is the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Mushers.

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual sporting event that is one of the most popular in Alaska. The great race coves over 1,000 miles in sometimes sub-zero or blizzard conditions from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. It takes 9-15 days for participants (called mushers) to complete as they drive teams of about 12 dogs. The Iditarod Race mushers are an Autism Light because in 2010 they helped provide $15,000 in support to make it possible for a boy with autism, Logan Erickson, to receive an autism service dog.

Logan Erickson is a 10 year old boy with autism who is chiefly nonverbal. He has been a fan of the Iditarod Race when he experienced it coming through Unalakleet, Alaska. Dee Dee Jonrowe is a musher and family friend of the Erickson's. Logan spoke his first word in seven years when he said, "Miyagi", the name of one of Dee Dee Jonrowe's race dogs. Dee Dee Jonrowe and other mushers of the Iditarod Race decided to take up Logan's cause and in 2010 donated almost $15,000 to help pay the expenses to bring an autism service dog to Logan Erickson.

Juke Erickson is the name of the yellow labrador dog who now lives in Unalakleet, Alaska with the Erickson family, thanks to the generosity of the Iditarod Race mushers. He has been trained by the 4 Paws for Ability organization to be an autism service dog for Logan Erickson. Juke is trained to find Logan in the event that he wanders, as children with autism do.

4 Paws for Ability completely trained Juke to be able to provide autism service. In the video when it speaks of Juke being trained by the Erickson family, it refers to the steps they took to help Juke apply his new skills specifically to the service of Logan Erickson. 

For more information on the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race visit these websites.

• Official Website
• Wikipedia

Special thanks to the Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race Mushers for being an Autism Light and helping bring Juke Erickson to Alaska. The Mushers become the first Autism Light from the State of Alaska. If you liked this post you may want to read about the other Autism Lights who have the label, "Animal".

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post was acquired from the Wikipedia Commons.

Elf Butler Modaff

Autism Light #102 is Elf Butler Modaff.

Elf Butler Modaff is a black lab dog who lives with the Butler Modaff family in La Crescent, Minnesota. Elf is an Autism Light because he is a trained autism service dog who is helping protect a boy named Caden who has autism. His specific mission is to keep Caden from wandering off on his own and to find him if he does wander.

Elf was trained by 4 Paws for Ability in Ohio. 4 Paws for Ability trains dogs to help with special needs and has a special program for autism assistance dogs. Elf has a special second buckle on his collar that can be attached to something Caden has with him such as a backpack. Elf has been trained to sit or lay down if necessary to keep Caden from wandering off on his own. Should Caden go missing Elf is also trained as a search and rescue dog to specifically track Caden.

The following is a news story on Elf done by WKBT.com (News 8) in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

For more information on black lab dogs like Elf visit the Wikipedia page for Labrador Retrievers. Special thanks to Elf and all the autism service dogs who are making a difference around the world. If you liked this post you may like to read about other Autism Lights with the label "Animal".

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post of Elf was used with permission of Jennifer Butler Modaff.

Fonzie Mills

Autism Light #91 is Fonzie Mills. 

Fonzie is a dog from Racine, Wisconsin. He was trained by Vicki Pingel of Compassionate Paws to be a service dog for a boy named Ryan who has autism. Fonzie is an Autism Light because he is acting as a calming effect on seven year old Ryan Mills, who has autism.

Fonzie was injured in an attack in 2010 while undergoing training. Two of the other service dogs in training with Fonzie were killed in the attack and he was the only one to survive. Ryan's mother, Michelle Mills, says that if Fonzie was tough enough to be the only dog to survive the attacks then he is strong enough for her son. For more information on Compassionate Paws visit their website at www.compassionatepaws.org.
 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Special Note: If you enjoyed this post you may like the other Autism Light posts with the label Animal.