One of the children is Brandon, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brandon has some issues with reading, so he has been prompted to read to one of the dogs in the house hold - an idea that came from Outreach Therapy Pets here in Auckland. Brandon is reluctant to read to adults, but is more than happy top read to Dini (and he never wonders why Dini has his eyes closed while he is reading).
The other day when Brandon was reading to Dini, Toby decided to join in and sat on the other side of Brandon - he even looked like he was really enjoying it too. Toby spends a lot of quiet time with the kids, and he really enjoys their company.
Toby has also visited Brandon's class at school, which was a good chance to mix with lots of different kids. With Outreach Therapy Pets Toby has also visited Te Papapa School as part of a pet therapy visit.
Toby is a real little charmer, and he makes friends everywhere he goes. When he was introduced to a fire engine he completely charmed the crew, who were interested in what he is being trained for, and they had lots of questions about how dogs benefit children with Autism.
The time is getting nearer for Toby to move into his home permanently, and he has already had a good time exploring his new home. Toby has been learning to take direction from his family rather than his puppy raiser, and he is already completely comfortable in their company which will make his transition very easy for him.
