Family raising funds for service dog, Celina Record

Prosper family raising funds for service dog for autistic son Lisa Ferguson, lferguson@starlocalmedia.com Jun 15, 2016 0 It’s probably safe to assume that most young boys would like to have a dog to call their own. Count Nathan Pennington among them. The difference is that the 9-year-old Prosper boy actually needs a dog to help him cope each day with the effects of autism as well as learning disabilities and mental illness he’s battled most of his life. Nathan and his family recently connected with 4 Paws for Ability, an Ohio-based organization that provides service dogs for children who are deaf as well as those who have diabetes, seizure disorders, mobility issues and autism. To raise the $15,000 it costs the organization to train a service dog specifically to meet Nathan's needs, his parents Therese and Shane Pennington earlier this year began collecting donations from family members, friends and community members who have learned about their son’s plight largely through social media. The family has also hosted raffles of goods and services donated by area businesses. They sold raffle tickets last week at a booth at the Celina Farmers Market Friday Nights on the Square event and will do so again from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. today. The Penningtons have established a fundraising page for Nathan on the 4 Paws website (4pawsforability.org/nathan-pennington/) through which they hope to raise the bulk of the funds. “We really would love to see the community rally behind us and make this something to bring the community together,” Therese said. Since Nathan was an infant, she said, he has exhibited “unusual” behaviors. He didn’t walk until after his second birthday and didn’t speak until age 4. Three years ago, he was diagnosed by physicians as having severe dyslexia as well as a low cognitive ability, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression and anxiety. More recently, doctors diagnosed Nathan as having high-functioning autism, a sensory processing disorder and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder that produces irritability, anger and intense temper outbursts in children. He takes medications to help alleviate symptoms. “Now I can look back and describe him as a soda can,” his mother said. “When we’re out in public, nobody sees anything, but inside he’s getting shook up, and the moment we’re in the car or at home … he just explodes everywhere.” In March, Nathan began running away from home. The first time, he went missing for hours before being found several miles away alone at a restaurant at the intersection of U.S. Highway 380 and Custer Road. He has since escaped three more times, despite his parents having outfitted him with a GPS tracking device. Running away is a behavior commonly exhibited by children with autism, said Kelly Camm, development director of 4 Paws for Ability, which can train its canines to serve as “personal search-and-rescue dogs” for youngsters. “A lot of times when the child has something to hold onto versus Mom’s or Dad’s clasped hand, the child doesn’t want to run off as much because he feels kind of comfortable and in control of the dog,” she explained. The dogs can also be trained to help children like Nathan who are prone to outbursts calm themselves and redirect their anger and frustration. “So meltdowns that may have gone on for two hours can last maybe two minutes, and that’s something that we’re really proud of,” Camm said. Therese said Nathan’s physicians have recommended that he receive a service dog. “At this point, this is the best way to help him.” They have seen good results when he has worked with a service dog owned by the mental-health counselor he regularly visits. As long as the dog is in the room, she said, “Nathan will really open up, give her information about how he feels, which is hard for him to describe often.” Once the funds are raised, it will take about 18 months for 4 Paws for Ability to train the dog before it can deliver it to Nathan’s family. “I want a German Shepherd,” Nathan said. He plans to call the dog Max in honor of the military service dog that starred in the 2015 movie of the same name. Shane has high hopes that a service dog will help his son, who he said has been ostracized by others as a result of his behaviors. “What this dog represents to our family is the opportunity for Nathan to have a personal best friend,” he said. “We all need someone to lean on, someone to talk to, and that’s what these dogs become to their owners.” Therese said a dog will give Nathan “the confidence that this behavior doesn’t have to overtake him, that he can learn to overcome this and function in society. That’s our hope and our prayer.”