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Navigate Life Texas: Resources for kids with disabilities and special needs
Navigate Life Texas: Resources for kids with disabilities and special needs
March 17, 2020 | By: Leslie Curtis
Categories: Family Support
Our family has always had outside dogs. Sadly, we haven’t always been the best dog owners. Until we got Bentley.
We have spent the last 6 months traveling from Midland to Dallas and back in preparation for my son’s major spine surgery. After my son’s second surgery, my husband had the bright idea to get our first inside dog.
Fast forward 2 months, post surgery?. We are now good dog owners and our son has a new best friend. This sweet dog seems to know that our son is special. I don’t know how, but he just seems to have that intuition.
Our son now has ownership of objects such as the couch and the bed because when Bentley jumps up on the couch, we all hear about it loud and clear: “This dog is on my couch!” Who knew that our son was so possessive of a couch or his bed?
The absolute sweetest sight is the new dog wanting to stay in the bed at night with our son. He must feel like Jackson needs to be protected. He wants to stay by his boy, but strangely, the boy doesn’t want the dog to interrupt his sleep just yet.
Jackson is now beginning to see the fun in having a pet. I have caught him holding Bentley’s stuffed animal over him, watching the dog chase around, trying to grab it. Jac finally has a friend! Yes, it’s a four-legged friend, but this friend can’t bully him. Bentley’s loyal and very protective.
The timing seemed terrible at first. But in hindsight, it was probably the best therapeutic thing we have ever done—not only for our son but for the whole family.
Enjoy Leslie’s other articles as she shares her family’s journey.
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Despite doubt from others, a parent’s careful attention to her son’s verbal and nonverbal cues highlights the importance of listening to children with disabilities and advocating for their needs.
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Having a child with autism adds some entertainment to our lives, especially if they are verbal. Sometimes, their words can make you laugh when you look back.
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