Heart-warming doggy tale

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Out in Rio Rancho NM, a nonverbal little girl, Maggie, aged 7 was introduced to a golden retriever as part of a sheriff's office program for children to meet the dogs. When Maggie met the dog, she started talking and interacting -first with the dog, then with others. Her parents were going to move to Washington State to be with the rest of her family, which meant leaving the dog behind. So her elementary school and the sheriff's department got together and raised the money to get her another dog, a puppy named Honey. Special ed dogs cost big bucks.

Maggie's doctor says her reaction to the dog is rare, but happens. I call it the good old Theodore Sturgeon "when an 'idiot' [my quotes; Sturgeon never did have the vocabulary to describe what he was seeing] meets an innocent, neither of them comes away the same.

Dogs are so theraputic for everyone.

We have a big old mutt named Bear. He's been great with the kids.

BeeBee

I think this happens because people respond differently to dogs than to other people. By their nature, dogs are social animals, and they seek interaction with people. However, it's not the same as between two people, and it's the kind of interaction than someone with autism can understand more easily. Namely, it's not a full two-way play, but more like one-way play with feedback (from the dog). To someone with autism, and to a lesser extent, with AS, this is the perfect way to interact. So that's why the child in the story was so comfortable with that dog.