Leon Kirby-Bulner, four, has autism and has trouble communicating with people and expressing his thoughts.
He lived in his own universe, shut off from both the boy’s parents and the rest of the world. Everything changed, however, when Fern, a Cocker Spaniel puppy, arrived at the house. This dog accomplished the seemingly impossible: he was able to approach the “difficult” child and become his greatest buddy.
It was love at first sight, according to Leon’s mother, Hayley.
“Until he met Fern, my son was lonely and alone in his own little world. She seemed to jolt him awake. “I noticed a glint in Leon’s eyes that I hadn’t noticed before,” Hayley explains. For the last three years, the child has been inseparable from his pet.
Even on a nonverbal level, he learnt to “communicate” with the dog. Fern, on the other hand, is quite perceptive to what the little proprietor is trying to convey. They do everything jointly. When Hayley sees her kid play hide-and-seek with the dog and dress up the spaniel in outfits to match his attire, her heart melts.
“Fern’s assistance is priceless on a daily basis. She’s not just a fun playmate, but she’s also his medication. During his sensory overload breakdowns, the dog assists him in calming down. When Leon knocks his head, she makes sure he doesn’t damage himself by putting her body between him and the floor,” Hayley explains. Family life has gotten lot smoother with the arrival of the spaniel, according to the mother. Leon gained confidence and opened up to the world thanks to this gentle and tolerant dog.
By their own example, the kid’s parents were convinced of the benefits of communicating with a pet on a youngster with autism’s condition and growth.
They believe in the benefits of canistherapy and, in order to assist other families with children on the autism spectrum, they created a Facebook page to gather cash to send companion dogs to these families. Of course, they dedicated it to Fern, their rescuer.
And, because to a charity sale of needlework produced by Hayley during quarantine, she was able to purchase a therapy spaniel for another youngster who is similar to Leon – he will soon have his own Fern, and hopefully his life will change for the better.
