By Jennifer Reed

It’s time for our first update of 2015 and our “working girl” is doing great!

Recently, Drake has been helping the children at CAC with language promotion. This can be seen as children using language to verbally greet Drake or identify parts of her body.

When she’s not at the center, she also occasionally accompanies Susie on home visits. Drake’s job during these sessions is to redirect certain behaviors with a “muzzle punch” or nuzzle. This directs unwanted behavior that feels good to the child, such as hand flapping or pacing, toward a preferred behavior, such as petting a dog.

At home, Susie and Drake have been practicing cleaning up, a command Susie hopes to incorporate into CAC’s circle time routine. According to Susie, many children she works with have a hard time with this task. Because Drake knows how to pick items up and bring them to a designated area, she would like to use the dog as a positive model to help promote this activity.

Finally, Susie says Drake has really become a part of the team at CAC and everyone has truly embraced her presence.

“Not only is she a celebrity with the children, but the parents just love her,” she says.

Susie adds that it has been especially exciting — and emotional — for parents to see their children interacting with a dog for the first time. She recalled one mother who nearly burst into tears watching her child play with Drake.

“Parents of children with autism have daily challenges that can impact the entire family," she says. "I think Drake is therapeutic not only for children diagnosed with ASD, but for their parents and siblings as well."