Linda – The Probiotics Tooth Fairy

According to a new Université de Montreal study, specifically trained service dogs can help reduce the anxiety and enhance the socialization skills of children with ASDs. These findings, published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology , may be a relatively simple solution to help affected children and their families cope with these challenging disorders.

A recent study conducted at the University of London found that children who owned dogs were less sedentary and were less likely to be overweight.

Michelle O’Neil, mother of Riley O’Neil, shares some things to consider before embarking on the quest to obtain a service dog.

As it would be for any family, the time was difficult for the O’Neils. They were quite certain that they had made the right decision; a service dog would help Riley. But with such a long waiting period, the doubts were bound to creep in. It was also difficult to capture Riley’s struggles on video – no one likes to document their child’s struggles.

Parents of children with special needs often find themselves brushing their childrens’ teeth at an age when most kids can handle this seemingly simple twice-daily task. Not only do parents know how important good oral care is for their kids, they know that investing the time up-front with brushing is much more time- and cost-efficient than time spent in the dentist’s chair.