Ellory was adopted into her family at 3 years old (She left the orphanage on her birthday! What a gift!) from Russia. It was not figured out that Ellory had Autism until about 6 months after her arrival. There were many classic signs like lack of eye contact, lack of language, sensory issues, sleep issues, rocking, etc that tipped her family off and led them to a diagnosis.
Her parents had absolutely no idea there was such a thing with Autism called “elopement”. They learned the hard way when she went missing like a stealth plane. Ellory’s family learned very quickly the terms “bolting”, “wandering”, “eloping” from their daughter. Once they realized what was going on, they were on 24/7 alert–a pretty stressful way to live. Her parents searched and searched for options to keep Ellory safe and reduce their family stress level and eventually decided that an Autism Service Dog was the best match for Ellory and their family.
In March of 2014, Ellory’s service dog arrived to help. Her dog, Hazel, is trained to her scent and will track her if she goes missing again and can be tethered to her while in public to become like an anchor should Ellory bolt away. In time, a bond should form that would also allow Hazel to sense and stop any stimming behaviors. Initially, Ellory was terrified of anything with 4 legs, but with hard work, she has come to terms with Hazel and they are slowly becoming buddies. Since Hazel’s arrival, Ellory’s language has exploded and she has napped more than ever!
Her parents had absolutely no idea there was such a thing with Autism called “elopement”. They learned the hard way when she went missing like a stealth plane. Ellory’s family learned very quickly the terms “bolting”, “wandering”, “eloping” from their daughter. Once they realized what was going on, they were on 24/7 alert–a pretty stressful way to live. Her parents searched and searched for options to keep Ellory safe and reduce their family stress level and eventually decided that an Autism Service Dog was the best match for Ellory and their family.
In March of 2014, Ellory’s service dog arrived to help. Her dog, Hazel, is trained to her scent and will track her if she goes missing again and can be tethered to her while in public to become like an anchor should Ellory bolt away. In time, a bond should form that would also allow Hazel to sense and stop any stimming behaviors. Initially, Ellory was terrified of anything with 4 legs, but with hard work, she has come to terms with Hazel and they are slowly becoming buddies. Since Hazel’s arrival, Ellory’s language has exploded and she has napped more than ever!
