Tender Loving Canines to Participate in National Conference

Online, April 3, 2010 (Newswire.com) - San Diego, California----Coinciding with National Autism Awareness month in April, Tender Loving Canines Assistance Dogs, Inc. (TLCAD) announced today that the Training Director, Sally Montrucchio, and Assistant Training Director, Karen Shultz, will be presenting at the Autism Society's 41st National Conference and Exposition in Dallas, Texas, on July 7-10, 2010. Their presentation, "Behavior Modification through the Use of a Service Dog", will outline the appropriate use of Service Dogs for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the impact and future of Service Dogs with regard to individuals with ASD. In 2008, TLCAD launched a specialized training program, "Leash-On-Life", successfully demonstrating that Service Dogs and Facility Dogs can be used as an effective tool in behavior modification, safety, as a learning aid and for social growth.

Shultz explains, "We have experienced remarkable results in children with ASD who have been placed with a Service Dog through our Leash-On-Life program. They have been transformed by improving their communication skills, learning the responsibility of caring for another living being, heightened physical activity and the dogs help protect the child from potentially harmful situations. The transformations have been very dramatic and the conference will provide an effective forum to impart our knowledge to a broader audience. Sally has also developed a customized Autism Service Dog training program, 'Train the Trainer', which will maintain rigorous standards to ensure successful outcomes as we expand the program."

The Leash-On-Life program was developed by TLCAD in response to better serve the needs of families with children who have autism. Some form of autism is diagnosed in approximately one out of 91 American children and parents continually search for innovative ways to enhance their child's life. Autism is a developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. Individuals with autism have deficiencies in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, sensory behavior and leisure or play activities. A Service Dog can provide not only loving companionship, but also a reduction of family stress, improved focus and attention span, fewer emotional outbursts, increased independence and autonomy, advances in abstract and concrete thinking along with enhanced safety and heightened motor/physical skills.

TLCAD is an all-volunteer run non-profit organization that provides custom-trained Assistance Dogs free of charge to people with limited abilities in San Diego County. Further information may be located at www.tenderlovingcanines.org or by calling (858) 461-6827 or toll free at 1-800-385-1282.