World Autism Awareness Day — 2 April 2021 — About a beautiful boy and his dog

The United Nations declared 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day (A/RES/62/139) to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of people with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.

In response to World Autism Awareness Day 2021, Richard Amos, Director of The Junction Works, wrote a really special piece for The Daily Telegraph (2/3/2021 p.29), about his 14 year old son, Fred and his assistance dog, Rosie — courtesy of Dogs for Life.

Fred lives with Autism. According to Richard, Fred’s life changed completely when Labrador Rosie came into his life last year.

In his Daily Telegraph story Richard writes:

“In 1802, American preacher George Washing Burnap wrote that the “… grand essentials of happiness were: something to do, something to love and something to hope for”.

For Fred, his new dog Rosie has had a huge impact on all three of these “conditions for happiness”

The Dogs for Life program is “something to do” — actually it’s rather a lot of things and very involved.

Rosie is certainly something to love.

The most surprising and heartening thing life in the hope — as Fred acquires the many unexpected and expected skills, it unlocks more and more things that he and we might hope for.”

The full story can be found here.

The Junction Works has been providing NDIS services, disability support, children disability services, speech pathology, community services and occupational therapy for over 30 years. Helping and supporting individuals, families and communities in Australia.