When David first saw Levi, a large black lab, it was not love at first sight. David, who has a condition known as pervasive development disorder, a form of autism, was easily overwhelmed by daily activities and struggled to interact with others. David’s family from Elkhorn, Wis. got Levi from a Blount County non-profit organization known as Wilderwood Service dogs, which trains and provides dogs for children with autism spectrum disorders and other neurological challenges.

Tiffany Denyer, founder and director of Wilderwood, says the organization is one of only three such providers in the U.S. and Canada that serve people with autism and the only one that handles neurological disorders. To date, Wilderwood has placed over 25 specially trained dogs with families all over the nation.
Levi is one of those dogs, and David’s parents are relieved to have an extra level of safety for their son who, without warning, can run away, putting himself in harm’s way. Levi has been taught to retrieve David and bring him back to his parents. Levi has also been taught to comfort David when David becomes overwhelmed and cannot control his frustration or anger. David’s parents, along with David, spent a week in Maryville learning how to become certified service dog handlers while helping their son become more comfortable with and accepting of Levi. After just a few days of work, David had become more verbal, giving Levi basic commands and engaging in conversation with total strangers who wanted to know more about his dog. David’s parents report David is doing much better in school, has become more verbal, and is able to join the family on outings that he has never been able to do in the past. Levi continues to be a great source of comfort to David.
Denyer holds a BSN with a specialty in psychiatric care, has a certification in Service Dog Training and has been working with canines for 15 years. “It has been our experience that nothing compares to the social and mental change of an autistic child once placed with a service dog,” Denyer says. “We have seen non-verbal children begin to speak, self stimming behaviors stop, and the safety of the child maintained at all times, giving exhausted parents the ability to sleep soundly for the first time since their child’s diagnosis.”

Because of the unique kind of services Wilderwood is providing, Maryville College is conducting a five-year study to learn and report the effectiveness of service dogs for children with autism. Each time graduating families arrive for their week-long “boot camp” of training, Maryville College department heads and students conduct extensive testing and evaluations of the children and dogs before, during and after the training process, documenting the anxiety levels, coping skills and behavior of these children. They have documented some remarkable results and continue to be amazed by the progress they are seeing in just a short time after a child has received their service dog.
Another of Wilderwood’s recent graduates is a mix breed terrier named Uri who takes care of his boy, Reese, who has autism. Because Uri was a rescue, Wilderwood was even more proud when Uri became a stellar service dog for Reese. Uri has gone from a dog nobody wanted to a dog with a job and is doing that job very well.
Reese’s parents report that their child is now sleeping through the night with Uri on his bed and the daily outings that used to end in meltdowns have subsided as Uri keeps Reese calm and focused. Reese often exclaims to strangers, “That’s my dog Uri!” with great excitement and now feels comfortable when people approach to learn more about what Uri’s job is. Reese’s mom says, “They have become inseparable playmates and Reese often plays Star Wars and, much to Uri’s protest, wants Uri to wear the Darth Vader helmet!” Reese has become more confident and outgoing with Uri at his side.

The testimonials Wilderwood is receiving from their graduates only confirms what Tiffany Denyer has known for a long time—that these canine companions do make a difference in the lives of these children and their families. Recently, Wilderwood became one of the recipients of CVS Pharmacy’s “For All The Ways You Care” contest and is very grateful for the financial support and media attention they have given them.
Wilderwood is always looking for people to volunteer to further their efforts. Their most important need right now is recruiting foster families to raise their puppies for approximately six months to get them ready to go into formal service dog training. The commitment asks fosters to take their young charges on family outings and expose them to as many new situations as possible in order to build confidence and good social skills. In addition, they can always use volunteers for jobs like taking puppies on outings from their kennel in Lenoir City, attending fundraisers, and helping Wilderwood financially by making a donation or finding corporate sponsors within the community. For additional information about becoming a volunteer for Wilderwood, you can contact them at 938-6657 and ask for Elaine, or find them on the web at www.wilderwood.org.
Wilderwood is committed to “Changing the lives of families, one dog at a time.”