Navigating Life's Detours
Finding the right path for a teen with special needs
Tag: guide dogs
It’s International Assistance Dog Week
I feel kind of old tonight. Why, you ask? It’s because there’s a new group of families at Canine Companions for Independence in Orlando this week being matched with assistance dogs. The timing is impeccable as the group kicked off training as International Assistance… Continue Reading “It’s International Assistance Dog Week”
Staycation memories bring smiles
The summer staycation ended way too fast, and my sister, Catherine, and my niece, Abbie, are back home in Missouri. Goodbyes are tough, but the memories made during the visit will have me smiling for weeks to come. The all-important Great Doughnut Survey was… Continue Reading “Staycation memories bring smiles”
J.P.’s staycation adventure
It’s been a busy few weeks with schedule changes at work and numerous special appointments — both personal and business. Through it all, I’ve been looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. That’s when my sister and niece arrived for a… Continue Reading “J.P.’s staycation adventure”
Vacation all I ever wanted …
J.P. just completed extended school year, and the start of fifth grade for him is less than a month away. Most would be thinking about summer vacation, but with much of my vacation time used for training at Canine Companions, it’s time to get… Continue Reading “Vacation all I ever wanted …”
Time for correction
Every once in a while, we all need to be corrected, right? As well behaved as Karina has been, the trainers at Canine Companions told us early on that she was food-driven. At the time, I thought to myself, “Well, aren’t we all? I… Continue Reading “Time for correction”
Friday Fun: Karina assists in therapy
Hi everyone, it’s Karina. My facilitator, Jeff, told me he’s been getting many questions about how things are going as I’ve settled into life with the Cousins family. I thought I would try to fill people in on how a Canine Companion goes about… Continue Reading “Friday Fun: Karina assists in therapy”
Karina gets clean
It was a big week for J.P. and Karina as we passed the one-month mark after graduating from Canine Companions for Independence. One month later meant Karina got her first bath, and we had to file our first report with CCI. The report asked… Continue Reading “Karina gets clean”
Enjoying the everyday
After more than a month of chaos, even doing household chores seems relaxing. It’s really nice to be settling into our new normal in the Cousins’ household. Over the past few days, there’s been an effort to get things cleaned up inside and outside… Continue Reading “Enjoying the everyday”
Training completed
We did it. On Monday and Tuesday, Paige, J.P., Karina and I returned to Canine Companions for Independence to complete the training that was put on hold while J.P. was hospitalized for a shunt revision and a gastrointestinal bug. We returned to CCI on… Continue Reading “Training completed”
Karina assists in therapy
Our skilled companion dog is being put to work. As things slowly return to normal in the Cousins’ household, Karina is getting involved in speech therapy. Our speech therapist, Amy Thomas, is creating a whole section of J.P.’s Dynavox to tell Karina’s story, and… Continue Reading “Karina assists in therapy”
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Navigating Life's Detours 