I know there are a number of things service dogs can do for autistic people, but are there any tasks that could help during nonverbal episodes? I'm semi-verbal and have been thinking of getting a service dog for a few years now. I have a few different tasks but I was wondering if there's anything to help with going nonverbal since it's a problem I face quite often. xoxo
so i’d guess it depends on the situations where you go nonverbal & the level of communication you have.
if it’s stuff like ordering at restaurants/fast food places, buying things at supermarkets, etc. & you can process language fine + nod or shake head, you could teach your dog to give them a card that says something like “i cannot speak, but i can nod/shake my head and i can hear, etc.” you could do this yourself, but i find it makes people take you more seriously if you utilize your service dog because going nonverbal is not commonly known about. to do this, you would have your dog perform “take + hold + paws up + give” and then “take back + hold + paws down + give” (which you can make more fluid as your dog progresses. in my opinion, your dog should also have a firm grasp on these tasks anyway bc they’re very very useful for most service dogs)
i find when i go non verbal or semi verbal i’m near a shutdown or meltdown when i can’t think clearly, so another task that could be useful would be teaching your dog to take you to the exit of a store + your car. this would be considered guide work and possibly momentum pulling, so check with your dogs vet to ensure it’s safe for your dogs joints when compared to your body mass & theirs. this one is a little more complicated, but the gist of it is you start by walking out of the doorway saying “exit” and then progress from there. here is a tutorial.
also, if your non verbal episodes occur commonly near shutdown or meltdown or sensory overload, doing dpt (deep pressure therapy) may help lower the chance of it or help you feel okay enough to move to semi verbal or completely verbal so you can escape the situation. deep pressure therapy requires a dog that has significant size compared to yours (so, not a chihuahua). the dog just kind of lies on you, but in a way that targets specific parts of your lap or body to help you calm down. i like to have my dog lie across my stomach to help me go to sleep. a tutorial is: here. it’s a tutorial specifically for sitting in a chair, but you can modify it as needed.
then of course it would be good for you to know all the commands you’re doing either in sign language or your own hand signals (though i’d recommend sign language) to ensure you remain in control while you’re non verbal and can’t give verbal commands.
i hope this helped a little bit, it’s difficult for me to help you completely without knowing what aspect of being non verbal is challenging, so please feel free to send a follow up ask if this wasn’t helpful enough!!
— consultant evan
