Our adventure started with a diagnosis and the unknown. Our youngest son, Jackson, was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome which falls on the Autism Spectrum when he was three and a half years old. We didn’t know what that fully meant. We knew there were big changes coming and we needed to help Jackson thrive in the great big world around us.
As a military family living in San Diego we are out and about a lot. We love to go places and see all we can in a city that has so much to offer. One of the best things America’s Finest City has is its police officers. When we were out and about we would see our guys and gals in blue and it became the best way to get Jackson talking and interacting with the world around him. His voice went from being whisper quiet to a normal speaking tone. Before too long, thanks to patient police officers with their sticker badges and endless supply of high fives, we saw Jackson change into the outgoing child he is today.
When Autism came into our lives we knew we wanted to give Jackson every tool and resource we possibly could. As animal lovers we knew the value of the kind of love that can only come from a wet nose, a wagging tail and soulful eyes. With our dog trainers help, we were able to welcome Chase into our lives. Chase is a 4 year old German Shepherd from the Czech Republic. He is 90+ pounds of love and energy trained specifically for Jackson’s needs.
We didn’t know what Autism was going to bring into our lives but we also didn’t know how much having Chase would change them. We invite you to follow us on social media as we share the adventures of Jackson and his special dog, Chase.