Under the guidance of the teacher, the autistic child stroked the healing dog "Star".
Guide dogs are trained at the Xi'an Sunshine Messenger Guide Dog Development Service Center.
Under the guidance of the teacher, the autistic child interacts with the cured dog "Black Sister".
The arrival of the healing dog "Star" attracted autistic children at Xi'an Qi zhi School.
On the playground, two Labrador dogs, one white and one black, are surrounded by a group of children with autism. Children sometimes touch the dog's body, sometimes the dog pulls it forward, and laughter and frolicking come and go. This is a warm scene seen by reporters in Xi'an Qizhi School on April 24, the eve of this year's International Guide Dog Day.
The white dog is called "Star" and the black dog is called "Black Sister". From November 2020, as healing dogs, they accompanied children with autism in Xi'an Qizhi School to picture book reading classes, at least twice a week.
"Star" is a pre-guide dog, and "Black Sister" has had a brief service experience as a guide dog. Due to various reasons, the "stars" and "black sisters" who have undergone rigorous training and complex assessments regret being "unemployed" in the second half of 2020.
To cultivate a qualified guide dog, the cost is 150,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan, and the elimination rate is as high as 70%. According to the convention, dogs that fail to "graduate" and match their owners will enter the families of ordinary people as ordinary pet dogs.
"Such a good guide dog seedling, more than 30 training courses have passed smoothly, gentle and intelligent, really can only become a pet dog?" Wang Xing, head of the Xi'an Sunshine Messenger Guide Dog Development Service Center, was full of reluctance.
Go heal the dog! Let these well-trained dogs participate in the rehabilitation and education of autistic children - Referring to international success stories, Wang Xing and the Department of Special Education of the Faculty of Education of Shaanxi Normal University launched a practical exploration.
A "Dog Teaching Assistant" came to the classroom
Xi'an Qizhi School is a public special education school and a pilot unit of the "Impact of Canine Assisted Intervention on Children's Reading" project. There are more than 80 children with autism with communication skills in the school, among which students Xiaobei, Haohao, and Toot Toot became the first children to attend classes with the cured dog because they loved dogs.
In November 2020, the first picture book reading class with the participation of the healing dog was launched. In class, Xiao Bei is a girl who loves to laugh, but she is reluctant to open her mouth to talk to people, laughter is the way she always answers the teacher's questions; Hao Hao is a lively and active boy, always wants to run away, almost unable to sit comfortably on the seat to complete the lesson; Toot is an introverted and quiet girl, who does not speak complete sentences, only says individual words, and is also very prone to nervousness, sometimes nervous to talk to himself, or bite deep tooth marks on his hands.
What kind of spark can the introduction of healing dogs in teaching spark? After a few lessons, the children gave the answer with variation.
"Guess what this is?" In one class, Hu Aixin, a project team member and a research assistant at Shaanxi Normal University, pointed to the picture book and asked. Xiao Bei smiled and did not speak.
Hu Aixin guided: "'Black Sister' just turned around, must not understand the hurry, you come to tell it." ”
"This is the table, this is a ball." This time, Xiao Bei opened her mouth to interact, and she was willing to speak to the "black sister".
Her love for "Black Sister" inspired Xiao Bei's desire to express, and she began to take the initiative to tell her parents after returning home that she had seen "Black Sister" at school today. "So what did you and the dog do?" The parents guided the way, and Xiao Bei's speech box was also opened, and sometimes he could say a whole paragraph. Later, Xiao Bei sometimes asked her mother expectantly before going to school: "Can I see the 'Black Sister' today?" ”
Yang Dan, the first class teacher of the fifth grade of Xi'an Qizhi School, found that after the company of the healing dog, the state of Toot Toot's whole person was much more relaxed, and she saw a bright smile on the face of this little girl.
It turns out that the trained healing dog can well sense the emotions of autistic children. When they judge that the child needs to be soothed, they will come forward to make some heart-warming actions, such as putting small claws on the child's body to attract the attention of autistic children and relieve their anxiety.
Toot, who had been soothed by the healing dog, gradually came out of his own world, no longer being impatient when communicating with people, and calmly paying attention to the things and people around him. After having a close interaction with the "black sister", Toot also took the initiative to hug the classmates. "I've seen her laughing lately, and I can hardly hear her yelling. Even the labor technology class that she did not like the most before, now she can patiently try her best to complete the course content. Yang Dan said.
The addition of "Stars" and "Black Sister" has made the atmosphere of the picture book reading class more active. Hu Aixin said: "We will also deliberately design courses with the participation of healing dogs, such as allowing children to groom cured dogs and arranging roles to guide children to talk to healing dogs." At this time, the healing dog is like a 'teaching assistant', which can not only soothe the emotions of autistic children, but also allow children to practice expressive communication skills in vivid situations. ”
B Guide dogs successfully "change their careers"
Guide dogs "change to cure dogs" are inseparable from the basic training they have received during the preparation of guide dogs.
Can understand the basic instructions of sitting and lying down, learning to go to the toilet at a fixed time, the designated position and other basic actions are far from enough, guide dogs can not bite toys, can not bark, to sudden noise desensitization, do not produce stress and overreaction. "These are all essential skills for healing dogs. In addition, 'Black Sister' has also carried out a year-long targeted training with the course taught by the International Disabled Dog Teacher, and can more easily adapt to the noise, smell and facilities in various environments, and will make soothing gestures such as hugging and touching. Wang Xing said.
"But the healing dog is by no means a 'low-grade version' of the guide dog, but the guide dog is more lively, closer to people, or larger in size to select out the guide dog, give full play to its characteristics." Wang Xing stressed that for example, the size of the "star" is larger than that of the general guide dog, and the autistic child can lie on its back; the "black sister" has a stable personality, participates in the picture book reading class, and can put the head or paw in the designated position of the page according to the instructions, so that the autistic child can maintain the fun and enthusiasm of learning.
Wang Tingzhao, director of the Department of Special Education of the Faculty of Education of Shaanxi Normal University, said: "We also looked at these two dogs for professional training. They are able to obey commands in any environment, while being able to engage in interaction and remain quiet. ”
The use of animals for autistic children is not uncommon internationally, and Professor Wang Tingzhao's team also used horse assistive interventions in 2019 to help children with autism undergo rehabilitation training. Compared with horses, dogs are more popular and acceptable, and the project is more maneuverable. In simple actions such as feeding and tickling dogs, children with autism exercise the ability to complete tasks independently and accumulate successful experience, thereby enhancing self-confidence.
The two practical explorations have broadened the thinking and direction for Professor Wang Tingzhao's team to study animal assisted therapy. In the future, they will also increase the number of game courses, while increasing the number of class hours and the number of practical participants, and conduct research on children with autism in terms of motor ability, social interaction, emotion, etc.
"If this project can continue to be promoted, it will not only help more children with autism to get out of self-isolation and enhance the effectiveness of special education, but also expand the 'selection pool' of guide dogs, effectively reduce the cost of guide dog training, and bring greater benefits to special groups." Wang Tingzhao said.
C Gentle and intelligent "milk beans"
"If there were no 'milk beans' this morning, the consequences would be unimaginable." As soon as she met reporters on the afternoon of April 19, Zhang Hongge, a blind masseuse in Xi'an, praised her "personal bodyguard" - a white Labrador dog named "Milk Bean".
In the morning, Zhang Hongge walked from the community to the massage shop under the guidance of the guide dog "Milk Bean" as usual, just out of the community door, an electric car was speeding backwards on the sidewalk, and the "Milk Bean" violently pulled Zhang Hongge to the left. "'Milk Bean' has never had such a sudden and violent movement, and I was startled and shouted 'Milk Bean you are walking obliquely'. Before I could finish speaking, the man riding the electric car slammed into my right shoulder. Zhang Hongge said while rubbing his shoulder, which was still slightly painful.
Frightened, Zhang Hongge stood in the same place stunned, and the "milk bean" was sticking to her side and wagging his tail, as if comforting his master. After Zhang Hongge confirmed that he was not in serious trouble, he let the people riding the electric car leave and continued to walk in the direction of the massage parlor. After arriving at the store, she squatted down and touched the "milk beans", which was a thank you, a reward, a like, and a trust.
This trust did not come easily. Zhang Hongge lost his sight due to illness at the age of 40 and later relied on a blind cane to travel. Afraid that the blind cane would touch others, she would walk against the root of the wall and touch the wall with her hands; afraid that others would touch her, she would walk very slowly, judging the environment around her by feeling. But even so, she still fell into wells and pits, and bruises were common. Zhang Hongge, who did not like to be lively, gradually did not want to go out, and his personality became more and more withdrawn, and he even suffered from depression and needed medication.
Zhang Hongge's son Li Shun looked anxious in his eyes. In 2016, Xi'an built the Xi'an Sunshine Messenger Guide Dog Development Service Center, which is the first base for training guide dogs in Northwest China. Li Shun applied for the adoption of a guide dog as soon as he learned about it.
In May last year, "Milk Bean" "graduated" from the Xi'an Sunshine Messenger Guide Dog Development Service Center. But when entering the human-dog adaptation stage, Zhang Hongge hesitated. "I didn't like dogs, I didn't know anything about its eating, drinking, temperament, and personality, and I didn't know how to take care of it." And is it really as good as the trainer says? Can you take me around safely? I don't trust my life to a dog. Zhang Hongge raised many concerns with Li Shun.
Under the persuasion of his son, Zhang Hongge reluctantly accepted the adoption and use of a guide dog. But not long after the "milk bean" arrived home, she felt that it was different from the ordinary dogs in her impression. She said: "After not teaching it a few times, it knew where to eat and drink Lazar. I work, go home, buy groceries, go to the bank and other routes that I often take, it is familiar with it after walking several times, and when I am not going out, I lie quietly next to me or in a cage, never noisy. ”
Zhang Hongge gradually became no longer repulsive to going out. Every time he saw Zhang Hongge getting dressed and taking a bag to prepare to leave, the "milk bean" would wag his tail and wait for the saddle to be worn, ready to enter the working state at any time. In the massage parlor, when it sees a customer entering the door, the "milk bean" will warmly greet him and say hello, and then obediently lie on the side; on the way, when he sees a familiar customer, he walks toward the customer, hears the owner and the old acquaintance finish chatting, and then goes to the target direction.
A few days ago, Zhang Hongge also took "milk beans" with his family to go outdoor spring outings and camping. Coming to the vast lawn, seeing many of the same kind, the "milk beans" were not moved, clinging to the owner's side, paying attention to Zhang Hongge's every move.
"Milk Bean" came to Zhang Hongge's home for nearly a year, Zhang Hongge has not taken any more drugs to treat depression, her mental state has been very good, she feels that life is very fulfilling, and frankly said that she is very dependent on "Milk Bean". "When I'm lonely, I talk to 'milk beans' and tell him about the past, and a lot of times I think about how nice it would be if it could talk and talk to me. I like 'milk beans' as much as I like my little granddaughter, it's an indescribable feeling. She said.
D "Cloud Breeding Guide Dogs" gathers love
Founded for 6 years, Xi'an Sunshine Messenger Guide Dog Development Service Center, as the first guide dog training base in Northwest China and the 6th in The country, is mainly engaged in providing qualified and loyal guide dogs for the visually impaired free of charge. At present, there are 6 guide dogs in the base that have "graduated" and become the "eyes" of visually impaired people when traveling, facilitating their daily lives and helping them better integrate into society, and 3 preparatory guide dogs that are being trained.
"These three dogs are not yet one year old, but they have been able to understand the basic instructions and have learned the necessary skills such as obstacle avoidance and seat finding. If it goes well, they will be able to 'graduate' at the end of this year and run into each other and accompany the visually impaired in real life. Xi'an Sunshine Messenger Guide Dog Development Service Center assistant trainer Luo Jie said.
It is expected to train 3 guide dogs a year, which is the best result of the Xi'an Sunshine Messenger Guide Dog Development Service Center in recent years. In recent years, through animal-assisted intervention in the rehabilitation of autistic children, the "Guide Dog Into the Theater Program", public welfare research activities, etc., more and more people have begun to pay attention to and understand the guide dogs, especially the "Cloud Breeding Guide Dogs" activity launched by the center in 2020, which has focused the attention of more than 20,000 netizens in Tiannanhaibei on the guide dog group. Through the "Cloud Guide Dog" WeChat Mini Program, caring people can pay 10 yuan per month to "cloud raise" a guide dog, become a "cloud parent", and enter the "cloud parent" exclusive group, you can see the training video and photos of the guide dog every day, continue to understand the training and examination of the guide dog, etc., to witness the growth of the guide dog.
"These 'cloud parents' have brought real support to the development of the guide dog business. There are still thousands of visually impaired people registering for guide dogs, and the base still has a long way to go to meet the needs of more visually impaired people. Wang Xing said. (The children with autism in the article are pseudonyms) (Reporter Li Yujiawen / Photo)