Recently, I was out taking my service dog for a walk when an approximately 3-to 4-year-old child came up and asked if she could pet him. I asked him to sit and allowed her to pet him. “He’s a very nice puppy," she said. “He’s so soft.”
“Thank you," I said. “Have you ever seen a puppy in a vest?”
“No,” she said.
“Well," I said, "when a puppy has a vest on, it means he has a special job. He is helping somebody or being trained to help somebody.”
“Wow," she said. “Why do you have the puppy?
“I have something called Autism.” I said.
“What is Autism?”
At this point I was quiet as she gazed into my eyes expectantly. Young children do tend to ask why I have a service dog, or why the dog gets to go into public places such as restaurants and stores, and their pet dog does not. Explaining a diagnosis like autism to young children can be very challenging because it is so abstract, not to mention there are such varying levels of functioning. Generally, when a child asks me why I have a service dog, I will tell them to go to the local library and ask for certain children’s books about autism. (I keep a list of them - see below) The trouble is, there are far more children’s books available which depict characters who fit the diagnostic profile of severe to profound autism as opposed to a higher level of cognition, average to above average verbal skills, and higher social awareness.
To answer the child’s question, I finally settled on simply telling her that, “My brain works differently than yours does.” After a minute, I asked her if she watched Sesame Street. “Yeah,” she said, smiling.
“Do you know who Julia is?”
“Yeah”
“Julia has autism,” I said.
She petted Thomas and talked to him a bit more and after a few minutes, her mother thanked me, and they went on their way. I walked the opposite way with Thomas, and in that instant, I thanked Heaven for Sesame Street and thought all the way home about just how much representation truly matters to children in the media. I was not a lot like Julia. I did not have the high presence of stereotypic behaviors, the repetition of phrases, the preoccupation with lining up toys, but there were other diagnostic indicators I knew I shared with her like the love of routine, consistency, and having to be directly shown how to play with toys or other children. I wondered too, what the conversation would be like at the dinner table that night, and I hoped I helped a little. “You’re a good boy, T.” I said when we reached the front door. I scratched his ears, and we went inside.
Adria's Book Recommendations:
- My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete
- Charlie Makes a Splash by Holly Robinson Peete and RJ Peete
- Leah's Voice by Lori DeMonia
- All My Stripes by Shaina Rudolph and Danielle Royer
- A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey
- Ethan's Story: My Life with Autism by Ethan Rice
- A Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor
Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and are intended for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the official stance of IRCA and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, educational, or therapeutic advice.
Nassim, A. (2023). Thank heaven for long walks with a dog, and Sesame Street, too. https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/articles/long-walks-and-sesame-street.html