Three-year-old Tupper Dunlop was born with autism spectrum disorder, a condition that creates difficulty in a child’s social interaction and communication with other people.
By the time Tupper was two years old, he wasn’t able to make eye contact with even his parents, he wouldn’t respond when someone said his name, and he refused to verbally communicate.
If he was lucky, he got between three to six hours of sleep a night, in 20- to 45- minute chunks. In between these sleeping stints, his parents would have to try and calm him from the nightmares that plagued him.
The one time Tupper’s parents remembered seeing their son calm, happy, and focused on one singular activity for an extended period of time was when a friend brought her dog to the Dunlop’s home.
“Tupper engaged with [the friend’s dog], playing fetch and chase, and was very happy and excited, laughing and squealing,” mother Nancy Dunlop recalled. “This reinforced the fact that an animal might be a good support for Tupper and might encourage him to engage with others."
That was when the Dunlop family adopted Lego, a yellow Labrador who was trained to be an autism service dog. Lego keeps Tupper company wherever he goes, allowing Tupper to participate in many more family activities outside the house.
Lego also sleeps with Tupper at night; the new sleeping arrangement allows Tupper to feel stable enough to sleep through the night without any fuss.
"Lego is allowing us to go out and do things we didn't do as a family," Nancy explained. "Instead of screaming and running around constantly, [Tupper is] much quieter, he's calmer, and he's able to sit and focus."
The Dunlop family is hoping to give Lego more training, so he can continue to help Tupper as he grows older. You can help them by donating money to pay for Lego’s training.
