autism
Guiding Lachlan
When Autism Assistance Dog Zeke came into Lachlan Masters’ life,
the dog changed the young boy’s world.
I
n the five-and-a-half years since
the Adelaide family was matched completely, so I put the kids (Lachlan
was what it was like. We couldn’t go
anywhere, we were stuck.”
with Zeke through Guide Dogs and his brother Bailey) in the car … well SA/NT, the changes for Lachlan – I couldn’t get Lachlan in the car at first, from Guide Dogs SA/NT’s Autism
and the whole family – have been it took about 45 minutes,” Judy recalls. Assistance Dog program, she hadn’t
“phenomenal”, according to Lachlan’s
mother, Judy Masters.
“When we got to Coles, I put him
in the trolley so he didn’t take off and
When Judy met with staff
slept “in I don’t know how long”.
The process to be matched with
“Lachlan was diagnosed with the whole way through Coles he was Zeke took about 18 months and was
severe autism at 18 months. He was screaming and yelling, ripping things very comprehensive. It included initial
completely non-verbal; he would from shelves, and people were making visits to the Masters’ home to make
spin in circles, run full pelt, slam his rude comments. At the check-out, he sure the house and yard were suitable,
head on the floor, bite us, punch got out of the trolley and ran across meeting with different dogs to ensure
us, because he was just trapped, he the scanner. the right match was found for the
couldn’t get out what he wanted to
say,” she said.
“When we got out to the car park,
family, and intensive training for Judy
I couldn’t get him back in the car, we and Zeke including Public Access
were in the car park for an hour, and Certification training and Bronze Paw
dangerous as Lachlan, now aged nine, then when we got home he threw (higher level training). A Guide Dogs
would run off in front of cars. Trips to himself on the ground outside. There SA/NT trainer worked with the family
the supermarket were impossible – was a two-hour meltdown with things every day for three weeks to ensure
though they tried, once. being thrown and smashed … that the family and Zeke could successfully
Going to the playground was too
22
“I was out of toilet paper
autism
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