An Open Letter to the Autism Community

As an organization with a dedication to improving the lives and opportunities available to people with disabilities and their families, Colorado Service Dogs would like to take this opportunity to let our community know more about who we are and the work that we do.

Who We Are
Colorado Services Dogs, Inc. is an organization established to train and provide rescued dogs to assist people who have disabilities in leading more independent lives at work, at home and at school. These dogs become an extension of their owners and bring security, freedom, independence and relief from social isolation to their human partners.

Colorado Service Dogs considers people with autism and their parents and families a vital part of educating us to better serve the community.Many people with autism as well as parents of children with autism have developed considerable expertise about autism. Their first-hand knowledge of the needs and realities of the life of children and adults with autism has made them strong and compassionate advocates for the rights of both children and adults with autism.

CSD's Mission and Goals
It is the vision of this organization to increase the quality of life and provide companionship to the residents of Colorado through specially trained service dogs, including on going support services and training.

For the dogs...
Acquiring from a variety of sources including rescues, organizations, and local animal shelters.

For people with disabilities...
To provide quality trained service dogs and continued client support and training for the duration of the working team.

For the community...
To educate, enlighten and enrich the lives of individuals in the use of quality trained dogs in disability awareness presentations and demonstrations in schools, churches and throughout the community.

In 2008, Colorado Service Dogs, Inc. introduced a very special program, extending its services to help children with autism and their families. This program, is aimed to help families with an autistic child to lead a more fulfilled life through the provision of a specially trained assistance dog.

For a child with autism life can be terrifying, the world becomes a confusing puzzle, a mass of pictures and noise that never makes sense. There is no known cure for autism, and every individual is affected differently, but one thing remains the same, with a child trapped in there own world by a devastating condition, normal life stops for the whole family.

An autism assistance dog is highly trained and socialized to help with the needs of the child and their families. Their role will be to act as a guide, anchor and continuous focus for the child and in so doing will offer the whole family the chance to open their doors to the outside world again.

While the effects on the autistic child are not fully understood, the results can be dramatic; a child with autism can become calmer within just a few weeks of commencing their training, tantrums and bolting behavior is reduced and the child shows a greater focus that has the potential to offer improvements in learning and communication sometimes for the first time.

With the presence of a highly trained assistance dog, the family can hope to visit the shopping mall, go to the park and even attempt a holiday, simple things that all too often can become a distant memory for the family with an autistic child.

Colorado Service Dogs works across the state to support the improvement of autism research. These improvements will, in turn, create better lives and opportunities for all people affected by autism - including children and adults, their families and their communities. We work to ensure that people with autism live in an environment that supports their well-being and enables them to reach their full potential as participating members of their communities.

We are open to feedback from our community and welcome your suggestions for inclusion of information and resources on our website.