Mobility, Pain Management, PTSD, San Antonio, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

2 Wounded Warriors – Father and Son

Laurie writes:

I had two sessions with Dale, who is a Wounded Warrior from the Vietnam Era, and Dale’s son, Sean, who just retired from active duty after 20 years. They both have dogs that they would like to be trained as Service Dogs. This was very interesting – and challenging – training two clients at once! But it was beautiful, because Sean is so tuned in to his father’s needs that he helps with the training.

Dale suffers from PTSD, two TBIs with neck and shoulder damage, bulged cervical discs, low back disc damage with radicular pain through his right leg from the back to his foot. He also suffers from chronic migraines and many other TBI symptoms, including memory loss. He recently moved from his hometown in Oregon to be with his son due to his condition. His SDIT is a rescue named “Piper”. He would like Piper to help with retrieving items off the floor, mobility, balance, stability when a migraine hits, and PTSD including bereavement after recently losing his wife of many years. Unfortunately, Piper, whom Dale chose from the shelter, is not large enough to help a lot with mobility – but we will do the best we can.

Dale’s son, Sean, suffers from PTSD and TBI. His SDIT is an absolutely gorgeous German Shepherd name “Calvin”. Calvin already knows many commands, so when we had our second session at PetSmart, we focused more on Dale and Piper. I suggested that Dale use a shopping cart to balance when walking with Piper instead of using his cane. This seemed to help him. Piper knows some commands, such as “sit”, “down”, “stay”, and is learning to heel and “leave it”. Piper is an extremely curious dog, so focusing on the “leave it” part will be essential.

Sean and Calvin did a wonderful job. Calvin was not heeling well on a regular collar, so we switched to a different collar and very soon, Calvin was heeling perfectly! Calvin knows several commands, such as “sit”, “down”, “stay”, “leave it”, and makes wonderful eye contact with Sean. We did several meet and greets, and Piper was excited and friendly, so we must work on his ability to stay still. Calvin is a very, very calm German Shepherd who doesn’t get rattled or excited easily. In fact, he likes to do a few commands then just lay down on the floor and rest!

Our next session will be at a Walmart. I want Piper to get used to Dale in a motorized wheelchair. We will continue to work on Calvin’s commands at Walmart as well.

We owe so much gratitude to this family who for generations has dedicated their lives to serving our country!

Anxiety, Austin, Fibromyalgia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Krisia and SDIT, Corgi “Bear”.

From our trainer, Emmett, in Austin, who had his first session with Wounded Warrior Krisia and her SDIT, Corgi “Bear”. Krisia suffers from Anxiety, Fibromyalgia, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Emmett writes:

Today I assessed Bear, a five year old Corgi, as a potential Service Dog candidate at Krisia’s home. He greeted me very gently and insisted on cuddling against my side. He has no history of aggression toward people or other animals. From the get-go, it was very apparent that Bear and Krisia are bonded strongly. He follows her around wherever she goes and flips into her lap when she sits down! He allowed me to touch all over his body including his legs and mouth without issues. Krisia also had her training contract ready for me when I arrived. I think these two will make a wonderful team!

Bear will need to work on heeling on a leash and appropriately responding to other dogs in public settings. He tends to get very excited and bark at passerby’s; not in an aggressive way, but more so in a “come play with me!” way.

Krisia will be ordering a vest for Bear as well as picking up some training treats and other essential equipment. We have a training scheduled for next week. I must say – Bear is quite possibly the cutest Corgi I have ever seen in my life!”

 

Agenesis of corpus callosum (ACC), Dallas-Fort Worth, Experience, Panic Attack, Seizure, Texas

The Jayna Experience

This posting is absolutely going to melt your heart. Get your tissues out! It is a very long posting, but that is because the client has a very rare and interesting disorder that I believe needs more attention from the community at large and how a Service Dog can help. It’s also about two beautiful families that came together and through their unbelievable compassion, are making dreams come true.

Dear, beautiful, sweet, and intelligent 12 year-old Jayna was born with a very rare condition. She has Complete Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum and Intellectual Disability. She is currently undergoing Chromosomal Genetic Testing under the care of Dr. Ariel Braumbar of Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth. Jayna also has issues of wandering, Anxiety Disorder (severe panic attacks) for which she is under medication for this. Her family drove all the way down from Dallas to meet Brian.

Agenesis of corpus callosum (ACC) is a rare disorder that is present at birth (congenital). It is characterized by a partial or complete absence (agenesis) of an area of the brain that connects the two cerebral hemispheres. This part of the brain is normally composed of transverse fibers. The cause of agenesis of corpus callosum is usually not known, but it can be inherited as either an autosomal recessive trait or an X-linked dominant trait. It can also be caused by an infection or injury during the twelfth to the twenty-second week of pregnancy (intrauterine) leading to developmental disturbance of the fetal brain. In essence, the brain is completely divided into “two” brains.

In some cases mental retardation may result, but intelligence may be only mildly impaired and subtle psychosocial symptoms may be present. ACC is frequently diagnosed during the first two years of life. An epileptic seizure can be the first symptom indicating that a child should be tested for a brain dysfunction. The disorder can also be without apparent symptoms in the mildest cases for many years, but with Jayna, she started having febrile grand mal seizures at the age of 1. Then, they became absence seizures. The family was quick to find out what was happening, and took her to Cook Children’s Hospital in Ft. Worth. That is when they found out she had complete agenesis of the corpus callosum. Until the age of 9, she continued to have less frequent absence seizures and then they stopped.
Genetic diseases are determined by the combination of genes for a particular trait that are on the chromosomes received from the father and the mother. Recessive genetic disorders occur when an individual inherits the same abnormal gene for the same trait from each parent. If an individual receives one normal gene and one gene for the disease, the person will be a carrier for the disease, but usually will not show symptoms. The risk for two carrier parents to both pass the defective gene and, therefore, have an affected child is 25% with each pregnancy. The risk to have a child who is a carrier like the parents is 50% with each pregnancy. The chance for a child to receive normal genes from both parents and be genetically normal for that particular trait is 25%. The risk is the same for males and females. Jayna’s amazing, absolutely supportive and beautiful parents show no symptoms. Jayna also has a younger sister that is absolutely normal. It has been thought to be a very rare condition but the increased use of neuro-imaging techniques, such as MRI, is resulting in an increased rate of diagnosis. This condition may also be identified during pregnancy through an ultrasound. Currently, the highest estimate of incidence is 7 in 1000 individuals.

Now, Jayna experiences extreme panic attacks that seem to come out of nowhere – there are no identifiable triggers. When I first met her, and during the many hours we spent as her beloved family drove down from Dallas to adopt “Brian” from our Available Assessed List, she spoke, acted, and interacted completely normally. Jayna is gentle, loving, immediately bonded with “Brian”, and it was beautiful to see how much her younger sister, 10 year-old Jillian, was so protective of Jayna.

Jayna’s incredible parents are still undergoing tests with Jayna, as mentioned above, which include MRIs, many visits to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, and investigating all kinds of ways to try and understand this rare condition and how genetics are involved. Jayna shows some autistic traits, but she is not diagnosed with autism. Many scientists doing research on this rare disorder think that many children who are “diagnosed” with autism may actually have this rare disorder, which is a fascinating area of research that needs much more funding given the drastic rise of autism diagnoses in the past few years.

Jayna is socially extremely easy to converse with and engages easily, from what I observed. She does have all the special “equipment” that many autistic children have, such as many weighted blankets when she starts to panic, but our hope is that SDIT “Brian” will become her blanket!! After just one day together, the parents informed me that Brian follows Jayna around everywhere. Brian knows that something is different. That’s why I felt they would be the perfect match – Brian is just that smart and instinctive. I showed the family and Jayna how to make eye contact with Brian, which he does very well, how to command him to “sit”, “down”, and if he gets too excited, how to do the step-down technique to help him settle. He would roll over on his back and let Jayna and her sister just pet and rub and lie all over him!! I gave them a special collar to help Brian “heel” for Jayna – I explained it would take a little bit of time for Brian to get used to it, but after walking around with Brian on the collar, he started to heel perfectly. Jayna has a soft voice, so she was encouraged to give commands with a more assertive voice. This definitely made a difference!

The family also brought along their other dog, a brilliant Aussie/Chihuahua mix! Seriously – this tiny dog is so incredibly smart! Brian and their dog took a little bit of time to get used to each other – there was absolutely no aggression (Brian wouldn’t hurt a flea) – but once the sniffing was done, all was fine. We talked about redirecting Brian to Jayna as much as possible, and her sister understood the reason for that. The only time I could notice the disorder that Jayna has was when I asked her a question: I said, “Jayna – when you have panic attacks, what are some of the first symptoms that you feel”. It was very interesting – because she was looking at me, and I could tell she was processing the question, but her father pointed out that this is the way a “split” brain works – it takes a few minutes for the two sides to process the information and come up with an answer. Indeed, in about 2 minutes, Jayna immediately started answering my question with complete clarity. She said that her heart beats faster, she gets very hot, she feels restless and nervous, etc. I let her know that Brian’s job will be to be so bonded with her that when these symptoms start, he will “alert” to them, and she is to completely focus on Brian to help soothe her before the attack becomes too large. I am confident Brian will be able to do this. She also said that she has nightmares, so Brian will sleep on the bed with her and hopefully gently wake or comfort her during or after a nightmare.

There is another beautiful side to this story. Words cannot even explain what beauty develops when there is so much love and compassion certain people.

Brian was donated by our client, Paul, and his wife Shanika. Paul and I have been working together and become wonderful friends over the past two years. Paul is a Wounded Warrior and has suffered several TBI’s, has severe PTSD, and has had multiple surgeries on his back. His frustration with not being able to work due to his disabilities left him very sad and feeling purposeless. His equally beautiful inside and out wife, Shanika, just celebrated her 19th year in active duty. Paul was at home all day alone, until he found Pit/Boxer mix, “Petey”. Training Petey and Paul was so easy and rewarding – Petey picks up on Paul’s sadness, anxiety, anger, everything – and never leaves his side. Petey is a perfectly trained Service Dog, and Paul was a HUGE part of that – studying the manual daily (he has short-term memory problems), practicing, and giving Petey more love than I could ever imagine. Paul often says that if it weren’t for Petey in his life, he doesn’t know if he would be here right now.

Then, Paul and Shanika rescued “Brian” from a friend who was going to have him euthanized because of a problem in his hip. They couldn’t allow this – so they brought Brian into their home, paid for the surgery on his hip, and now, he runs and plays as happily and healthily as any dog – and the veterinarian said he is completely fixed. Overall, they have spent thousands of dollars on both dogs to help with any medical issues – but they realize that these special dogs are God’s creatures and deserve everything we can give them. Shanika even has her own little dog, “Scarlett”, a tiny, beautiful comfort to Shanika. Scarlett tries to play with big Petey and Brian, but she and her little underbite have to be careful not to get squished!

Well, over the past year and after Brian’s surgery, Paul started training Brian like he trained Petey. Brian would mimic a lot of Petey’s perfect Service Dog actions – like immediate “sits”, “downs”, “sit/stays”, “down/stays”, “heeling”, and the command “kennel” – where both dogs immediately went to their big comfy kennels without hesitation – even Scarlett would lie down in the kennels with them! But Paul talked with Shanika, and although they loved Brian as one of their family, Paul felt that it was selfish for them to hang on to such a bright and gentle dog that they knew could be helping someone else. It was a tremendously difficult decision for Paul to make because he had bonded to Brian, but he knew there was that perfect “someone” that Brian could help the way Petey helped him. The way Jayna’s family and Paul came together I can only attribute to divine intervention.

After over four hours together with Jayne’s family and Paul and Petey, it was obvious that this was going to be a perfect fit. Jayna’s mother told me that several people that have children with ACC asked her why she didn’t want a completely trained Service Dog for Jayna. Her reasoning was perfect. She understood that the most important part of the process of training a Service Dog is having that bond develop through constant time together, and training together – making steps forward and also learning from mistakes. I absolutely agree. This training process, I believe, as I do with all client who have brain disorders, strengthens the connectivity between the neurons in the brain of the client. The brain actually changes as a result of training – as I have seen on PET scans of Wounded Warriors with PTSD and TBI after they have trained for six months during a study I had the luck to be part of. I have no doubt that this will be the case with Jayna. So far, Jayna’s mother has said that in the short time (a few days) that they have had Brian, he absolutely will not leave her side. She even shared one beautiful anecdote with me; the family was at church the day after adopting Brian (he’s not ready for Church yet), and Jayna’s mother saw Jayna started to become unfocused during the service. She repeated to Jayna, “Remember Jayna, you have to try to focus”. Well, she heard Jayna in the house later that day walking around with Brian and repeating, “Brian, remember, we BOTH have to try to focus”. It was amazing.

Paul had a difficult time saying goodbye to Brian, as he has difficulty holding in his emotions at times. But Jayna’s father stayed inside with Paul alone as we packed up everything Paul and Shanika donated to Jayna’s family – including the crate, blankets, dog bowls, food, toys, a dog bed – and they talked together about what a ministry Paul was doing by giving so much to help another family. This truly helped Paul, and the family was so understanding of Paul’s mix of sadness, tears, but also joy in knowing he was doing what he needed to do. They will always stay in touch – I know they will be friends forever – and when I called Paul that night to see how he was handling it, he actually sounded more at peace than I have ever heard from him in almost two years. Jayna’s family, in the meantime, is beyond grateful. Jayna may never grow up to be a perfectly “normal” young woman, but with Brian’s help, she will most certainly improve. I can’t wait to follow them. They will be continuing training with Candace, our trainer in Ft. Worth if she is able (she is going through some very difficult medical issues herself) – but I will be more than happy to train with them in Dallas or if they come down here for extended sessions!!

You can even see in these pictures how Jayna, who is usually shy around strangers, especially meeting Paul who is extremely tall with a shoe size of a zillion, warmed up to him enough so they could pose together and he hugged her.

THIS is what happens when two beautiful tiny “villages” come together with nothing but compassion and love to give. It is God’s grace shining his light on our world – which we all need to remember CAN happen.

If you are interested in finding out more about this rare disease – especially if you have a child with autistic traits, please visit: http://www.nodcc.org/dcc-faqs

Anxiety, Austin, Depression, PTSD, Texas

CONGRATULATIONS to Maddie, and SERVICE DOG, American Staffordshire Terrier,“Hera”

CONGRATULATIONS to client Maddie, and her now SERVICE DOG, American Staffordshire Terrier,“Hera”!! Maddie suffers from PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

Trainer Emmett writes:

“We performed the Public Access Test at the Wolf Ranch Town Center in Georgetown, TX. Hera mastered the following: “Controlled Unload Out Of Vehicle”, “Approaching The Building”, “Controlled Entry Through A Doorway”, “Heeling Through The Building”, “Six Foot Recall On Lead”, “Sits On Command”, “Downs On Command”, “Noise Distractions”, “Restaurant Etiquette”, “Off Lead”, “Dog Taken By Another Person”, “Controlled Exit”, “Controlled Load Into Vehicle”, and “Team Relationship”

Maddie and her now Service Dog, Hera, did fantastic on their Public Access Test! Hera is an American Staffordshire Terrier that was rescued by In Dog We Trust rescue run by Ms. Cherry Jenkins, and has been training with Maddie and Emmett for some time now. Hera is incredibly attentive to Maddie and always watches for her hand signals or vocal cues. Hera heeled perfectly on a leash, sat before greeting strangers and has mastered her down/stay (the hardest one for Hera to learn). I am overjoyed to see these two go on to the next leg of their journey! Way to go!”

Anxiety, Depression, El Paso, Military, PTSD, TBI, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Ethan, and SDIT Shae’mus

From our trainer, Terry, who has been working with Wounded Warrior, Ethan, and his SDIT, Mastiff Mix, “Shae’mus”. Ethan suffers from PTSD, TBI, anxiety, and depression. This was Terry’s sixth and seventh session with Ethan.

Terry writes:

“What can I say about these sessions? Priceless!!! We had a family outing at one of our favorite restaurants in El Paso. Before entering the Service Dog Express Program, Ethan rarely left the house, and family time outside the house was non-existent. Today the proof is in the pudding, and the pictures are worth a thousand words! Now, Ethan, with the assistance of his SDIT Shae’mus, are enjoying an active, meaningful, and productive life, while reestablishing the loving bond with his family and friends. That is the true value of the Service Dog Express program!”

At the next session with Ethan and SDIT, Shae’mus, we met at the Mall, went to the park, and went to a restaurant in El Paso.
This was a round robin training session. I, Ethan, and Shae’mus, engaged in three different areas, similar to how I conduct my testing to prepare for the Public Access Test. I opened up the session by explaining what I expected on testing day, and demonstrated each exercise if the client was not sure how to perform the task. Ethan and Shae’mus needed minimal guidance if any! It is truly rewarding when you arrive on site, and the client is already their early practicing there craft! That is dedication and commitment for success. The sessions went very well, and am confident that Ethan & Shae’mus will do well on their Public Access Test. Keep up the great work!”

SO proud of all of you – Ethan, Shae’mus, and Terry – and you are right – that IS what we strive for!!!! Congratulations!

Anxiety, Cancer, Depression, Medical Alert, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Laura and Little Pumpkin

From our trainer, Cherry, who is working with Laura, who suffers from cancer, recovered congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, Graves disease, anxiety, depression and PTSD. Her SDIT is little “Pumpkin”.

Cherry writes:

“Laura and her SDIT little Pumpkin are doing really well! Laura puts a lot of time into training her little darling and the results were clear at today’s session.

Pumpkin has mastered her sit and stay at 6 feet! Quite a feat for a little dog that loves to be close to mommy. A tiled floor like Target is great for training because the tiles are exactly one foot in length so its easier to gauge a six foot recall by counting the tiles. Pumpkin is also doing really well with walking with the cart and keeping close to Laura.

Pumpkin is an amazing emotional support for Laura and knows when she is showing signs of anxiety; Pumpkin will jump right up into her lap and reach to wash her face with kisses to ease her tension and it works!

Laura’s homework is to practice Down and Stay, which Pumpkin finds more of a struggle to perform, but with Laura’s determination I know they will get there!!

Agoraphobia, Panic Attack, San Antonio, Texas

Roxanna and “Abby Rose”

From our busy trainer, Beverli, who had her first session with Roxanna and her SDIT, Red Australian Cattle Dog, “Abby Rose”. Roxanna suffers from agoraphobia (difficulty leaving her home due to anxiety), and panic attacks.

Beverli writes:

“Today I assessed “Abby Rose” to get a baseline for where she was in her knowledge of basic training skills. We all went for a walk, and I taught Roxanne to reinforce “heeling”. I also showed Roxanne how to redirect Abby Rose when she heard another dog, or saw a person walking on the sidewalk. Abby Rose is a very friendly dog, so she wants to meet and lick everyone we pass! We will be working to help Abby Rose learn to ignore other people and dogs we encounter in public.

We started learning the “touch” command today, as a building block for anxiety and panic attack service work. Homework given for the next session was working on “touch”, and “heeling with random stop/sits, with Abby Rose’s focus on Roxanne.”

Abby Rose has a wonderful bond with her Roxanne. She has a great work drive, and is a fast learner. She and Roxanne will do great in our course!

ADA Rights, Experience, Military, Mobility, PTSD, San Antonio, Texas, Veteran, Wounded Warrior

Update from Vietnam Vet – Denise

It’s truly wonderful to hear news from our clients about how their Service Dogs continue to help them in ways they didn’t even expect – this is a result of consistent training even after they have passed the Public Access Test and BONDING!

From our client, Denise, a Wounded Warrior from the Vietnam Era who passed her Public Access Test with the help of trainer, Brenda, and her Service Dog, Sandy! Denise is wheelchair-bound, but she tries not to let that inhibit her!!! This also highlights the importance of letting Laurie contact the airlines for you when you are traveling.

“Good Afternoon Laurie! Sandy and I are doing well also. As you can tell Sandy and I are on the road again. We are on our way to Houston for our family reunion, so I need your help again with arrangements for our trip. Whenever you contact the airport for me things run so much smoother, and I really appreciate that help from you. So I am sending you our itinerary for our trip and I would appreciate your help again.

I wanted to tell you something about the training I received for Sandy. I know Sandy was trained to help me with my PTSD, but I had no idea how well she understood her role until I got back from California. About two weeks after I returned, for some reason I had a meltdown. I was hysterically crying and unable to stop. All of a sudden, I started calling for Sandy; the next thing I knew I heard her jump out of her chair, come running through the apartment, jumped and flew through the air, jumped on top of me and pressed herself on me and held me down to calm me down, and she didn’t leave until I calmed down enough to fall asleep. It happened a second time and she did the same thing again. So I want to thank you again for your training course! Thank you so much for your help and understanding.”

Doesn’t something like that just fill your heart with joy?

PTSD, San Antonio, Texas

Congratulations, team! Rachel and her now SERVICE DOG, “Bella”

Congratulations, team! From our wonderful trainer, Sue, who has been working with Rachel and her now SERVICE DOG, “Bella”! They passed their Public Access Test! Rachel is 7 years old and was diagnosed with PTSD this past year. Her triggers are loud noises and “knocking” sounds, where she tends to shut down and dose not communicate well in crowds. Sue worked with Rachel and Rachel’s mother, Rebecca throughout the process.

Sue writes:

Rachel and Bella are an awesome team. We started 10 March 2015 and worked within her financial means. Rebecca and Rachel were very dedicated to training. When we first started training, Bella used to be bird, dog and cat reactive and pull on a leash. Not anymore!! Bella ignores distractions like this, gets along with other dogs and cats now, and heels perfectly. Bella knows how to use the elevator and has ridden the bus. She goes with Rachel to her equine therapy sessions. Bella is still a little scared of the horses, but we keep her at a tolerable distance from them. She also walks Rachel to school. When Rebecca and Rachel go to stores, Rachel has her own special short leash that I had her pick out and Bella walks between Rachel and Rebecca. Bella walks very nicely by a grocery cart.

I still have Rebecca take Rachel and Bella on short trips to the stores and to the grocery store during low traffic times. I have them go to restaurants where they can eat quickly or have the waiter bring their food in a to-go box in case they have to do a quick exit if Rachel starts to experience severe symptoms.

I will continue doing other training with them as they can afford.

Someday, it would be nice to allow Bella to go to Rachel’s school, but that is hard to do within the school district – but we will work on that. So, right now Rachel can have Bella go with her in public and to restaurants without having panic attacks. Rebecca has a plan for restaurants and stores in case Rachel has her anxiety attacks. A family member is usually with them in case they are needed.

Rachel has had fewer meltdowns since we have trained Bella!”

Autism, San Antonio, Texas

Alexand his gentle SDIT, “Will”.

Laurie had her first session with adorable 4 year-old Alex, who has autism, and his gentle SDIT, “Will”. Alex lives with such a loving family. They have been through so much financially but they keep the faith and Alex’s mom, Brandie, makes sure that Alex gets the best OT and PT and other therapies he needs to try and develop his full potential.

The family has had Will for a while now – rescued from a shelter – and Will is very accustomed to Alex’s behaviors. Alex’s mother, Brandie, said that Alex’s meltdowns can be very severe, but Will is used to them and tries to nudge or lick him when this is happening. When I arrived, I found a very well-trained dog in Will, who could “sit”, “down”, “sit/stay”, “down/stay”, “come”, and “heel” extremely well. Alex had just woken up from a nap when I arrived, and he was such a sweet, shy child! Since this was the first time we met, I wanted it to be a positive experience, so I played hide and seek under the kitchen table with Alex, calling Will over and giving Will treats when he continued to stay. I eventually got Alex done with playing hide and seek, and said, “Let’s play hide and seek with Will!” So Alex came over, and I put Will in a sit, and I coaxed Alex to pet Will, play with his ears, say his name, and say “I love you Will”. Then Will would go to his favorite hiding place near the couch, so I brought Alex by the hand, all the while saying silly things to him about Will, and when he saw Will, I called Will and he came out. So it was like playing hide and seek with the dog! Each time I lured Will out, I clapped my hands and had Alex pet Will and say things like “Good dog, Will” and “Your my best friend, Will”. Will seemed to love the attention, and Alex was definitely engaging in interaction.

Then, Alex, Brandie, Will and I went on a short walk outside, and I held the leash and gave the end part to Alex. Will stayed in a perfect “heel”, and I showed Alex how good he was doing and we would stop, have Will sit, have Alex give Will a treat, and say “Good Will”. The walk was nice and sweet. When we got back inside, I encouraged Alex to give Will hugs, and talk to him as much as he could to praise him.

The goal is to encourage the bond between Alex and Will, and to have Alex have as much body contact with Will so that eventually, when Alex starts to go into a meltdown, he will feel more inclined with Brandie’s help to seek out Will to apply deep pressure therapy.