Boy's Best Friend

Autism service dog transform's 9-year-old's life, helping him de-escalate aggressive tendencies

- MAURA ZURICK

BRINGING HOME A GOLDEN retriever named Topaz has been a "life-altering opportunity" for a Pennsylvania family.

Topaz lives with "her boy," 9-yearold Chaise Clouser, as well as his mom Ashley, dad Justin and 5-year-old brother Conner, in Shelocta, about 50 miles from Pittsburgh.

The 3-year-old service dog was trained to help Chaise cope with his symptoms stemming from autism and ADHD, the 9-year-old's mom, Ashley Clouser, told Newsweek in a series of interviews in November and December.

"She has a love for Chaise that I have never seen a dog have with anyone," Ashley said.

Ashley said their lives were "pretty normal" until COVID-19 shut down the world in 2020 and the Clousers began noticing concerning behaviors they had never witnessed before. She said Chaise began to engage in "severe aggressive behaviors" that no de-escalation strategy could calm, leaving his parents no choice but to restrain him so he wouldn't hurt himself, them or his little brother.

"His world was now turned upside down and he had no other way to deal with that than turn to aggression," she said. "In June of 2020, we had to make the most difficult decision that I believe we have ever had to make and commit Chaise to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. Once home, we realized that although he was a little more manageable, this was our new normal, and it was frightening."

She said there is "no manual" for how to help children with autism and they were running out of options, so she reached out on Facebook and a friend told them about 4 Paws for Ability, a nonprofit located in Xenia, Ohio, that provides service dogs to children and veterans with disabilities. The nonprofit, which aims to "enhance the lives of people with disabilities," has trained more than 1,800 service dogs since 1998, 4 Paws for Ability spokesperson KaLynn Clark told Newsweek in an email.