Specially trained dog could help autistic eight year old

A SINGLE mother is raising funds for her eight-year-old autistic son to receive an assistance dog.

Kate Ludwig, 42, from Charvil, is more than 40 per cent of the way to raising £7,500, which will go towards a specially trained dog from Autism Dogs Charity UK.

The charity donates dogs to those who need it most, with Jude’s application being selected out of hundreds.

Miss Ludwig described her son as a “bright, loving little boy” who loves Lego and swimming.

She said: “Anxiety underpins every aspect of Jude’s life, so he struggles immensely.

“On a day-to-day basis, a dog would help with his meltdowns and moments when he feels overwhelmed, it would help him get out of the door and involved in things like after-school clubs and it would give him a sense of security as he would be more able to regulate himself.

“The lovely thing about it is they tailor the dog to his needs. They can learn eight skills, one of which is deep pressure therapy, where the dog lays on him when he is stressed, which would be great for Jude.”

Jude was diagnosed with autism at the age of four, with the family trying many types of provisions and forms of therapy, all of which have not been sustainable.

Miss Ludwig said that he started to show signs at the age of three, with intense meltdowns becoming the norm, a difficulty dealing with transitions, and struggling socially at pre-school.

About 18 months ago, Miss Ludwig started to consider how a dog may be able to help as they had always had a “calming presence” on Jude, consistently making his face “light up”.

This came after Jude showed a strong attachment to a boxer dog owned by his aunt Sarah, which she brought with her on a visit. 

Jude, who attends Polehampton Junior School, said: “My life is very difficult in many ways and sometimes it feels way too much for me to handle — I am not okay. Sometimes, I lash out, hurt myself or break things.

“I hate feeling this way, some days I can barely get to school.”

Ms Ludwig registered her interest and, a few weeks ago, when the charity advertised availability, she applied.

The process was rigorous and she sent in diagnosis reports and went through two interviews before receiving confirmation that Jude had been successful.

While the charity subsidises a large portion of the cost, the family must still raise £15,000 to secure the pet, something Miss Ludwig is struggling to reach.

She has already had to quit her job as a secondary school teacher to care for Jude full-time, saying that it was “impossible to juggle” work and care.

For more information and to donate, search for Kate Ludwig on GoFundMe — the title is ‘Not all heroes wear capes…