Note: As of March 19th, 2008.
Trapper has Autism
Trapper has a different name, a little less common then most little boys names you hear. His daddy & mommy loved the name though, so when he was born it just fit.
Trapper is just like many little boys his age. He is a very active, rough & tumble little boy. He loves playing with his cars & trucks, splashing in mud puddles, tromping through the snow, stacking blocks, and looking at picture books. He loves to be hugged and cuddled too. Trapper looks like any other three year old. He eats a lot, loves hot chocolate, peanut butter sandwiches, and his favorite movies are "CARS" and "Toy Story". New to his favorite songs & shows are "The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" and "My Friends Tigger & Pooh". He listens mostly & they make him laugh. His laugh alone would make you fall in love with this child. :-)
What you may notice that is different about Trapper is that he doesn't tell you what he likes with words or even with signs. He doesn't look at you and avoids eye contact. He doesn't respond when spoken to and doesn't seem to understand even the simplest commands, like "come here", "sit down", and even the word "no" does not appear to receive recognition with our son. He will sometimes look our way at the sound of our voices, but doesn't seem to understand what it is we are trying to tell him.
This isn't a rare condition though, today it is an epidemic!
Trapper is like 1 in every 150 children today...
Trapper was diagnosed in April of 2007
@ the age of two with Autism PDD.
Trapper tackles many frustrations that the typical 3-year-old does not have to. His disability is not physical. Autism affects his communication and social skills, and also his behavior. Trapper, like many other children with Autism, has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).
Things that would not bother most people, overwhelm Trapper. He has what we call "meltdowns" almosy daily. Routine things such as certain types of lighting and sounds, textures and even smells, overload his senses. These meltdowns can range anywhere from staring at his hands or using them to cover his ears while hiding in a corner... to a full blown tantrum complete with screaming, throwing things, kicking, and hitting. Sometimes he will even hit himself or shut his eyes and throw himself down. It is often very difficult to calm him down.
Trapper & his family live in a remote area of Alaska in a city called Skagway, in Southeast Alaska. Services are very limited in this area. They do have an excellent School in Skagway that is working hard to learn more about Autism & help Trapper. However, Trapper does not have easy access to therapies that many children with Autism may be able to receive on a daily basis.
Some of the therapies that are available to children with Autism in many areas (not in Skagway) that would help Trapper, include Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Music Therapy, & Aqua therapy. His family is following a dietary treatment for Autism. This is called a Bio-Medical diet and it restricts all forms of gluten and casein.
Skagway is surrounded by an amazingly beautiful, rugged wilderness. Thick forests, waterfalls, and the icy and raging Skagway River are all threats if Trapper were ever to become lost. For a normal three-year-old it can be a dangerous wilderness. For a child with Autism, even more so. He doesn't understand lost or cold. Winter is especially a worry with our son.
Trapper is also a great climber and can figure out locks and how to get around obstacles in seconds. The fence around our yard, and latch on are front gate have already been figured out. What makes his escapes even worse is that Trapper doesn't ever respond to his name, and runs full throttle without looking around at his surroundings. Traffic isn't heavy here in Skagway, but still it poses a serious concern for his family.
We have many dangers here that include water, strangers, summer traffic, harsh weather, the train that runs through town, and the wild animals that Alaska is known for. Trapper has no fear of anything it seems. He has no fear of heights, animals, people, fast moving vehicles, water...nothing seems to scare him.
Our tiny city consists of 5 blocks one direction and 22 blocks the other direction. If I showed you on a map where we live, you would understand our fears even more. Across the street you will find an open fence leading to the airstrip, past that the river that flows into the Taiya River Inlet and into the ocean. Glacier melt, makes these waters even more of a danger. Timing is everything! A dog trained in Search & Rescue would be a miracle dog in our book!
You see, Trapper loves water. Not only does he have no fear of water but also he’s actually attracted to it. He wants to touch it & taste it, and be part of it. He doesn't see it as a danger, to him it is about sensory.
For these many reasons, We are asking for your help! Please help us, by making a tax-deductible donation to “4Paws for Ability” in honor of our son, Trapper Leeth. You will be helping Trapper bring home a service dog specially trained for Trapper's needs. In order for Trapper to receive his dog, we must raise $13,000. “4 Paws” feels this is necessary to help defray the costs they incur while training their dogs. This is no small task, so every penny helps!
This dog will assist Trapper in navigating our world and even more importantly his service dog will be trained in Search & Rescue, which will be a Godsend to our family. We want Trapper to have a little independence, a door to social interaction with other children, safety, and help with calming or stopping his melt downs. His dog will also provide moral support & a friend during all our travels to therapies out of the area.
Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement and any help you can give in helping us bring our son's service dog into his life.
If you wish to learn more about 4Paws, please go to http://www.4pawsforabilility.org/