Four-year-old Ayden Quintana and therapy dog, Scrunchie, have a special bond.
Ayden has some language deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder and has been in speech therapy at the Joe DiMaggio Rehabilitation Center at Memorial Hospital West.
“When Ayden first started here, he had about a five to 10-word vocabulary and it was very difficult for him because he was frustrated. So he brought a lot of those behavioral issues when we first started, said Alex Quintana, Ayden’s father.
Progress was slow at first as Ayden struggled to focus, but when golden retriever Scrunchie came into the picture, everything changed.
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“We brought in Scrunchie and his whole attitude changed. His demeanor changed and he was very calm and loving with her and we were able to actually get some solid sessions,” Quintana said.
With Scrunchie’s support and the help of his speech therapist, Pearl, Ayden has overcome many of his challenges.
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“They have a special relationship. They share Cheerios and it’s all hugs. It’s just a really great environment for him to learn and it’s just great,” Quintana said.
Memorial Healthcare System embarked on this animal-assisted therapy program 15 years ago and the director says it had made a difference in many of their patient outcomes.
“We have about five therapy service animals across the organization and each one has its own special training. Some deal with physical and emotional disabilities like Scrunchie," said Maria Weinstein, Scrunchie’s mom and Director of Intermediate Services at Memorial Hospital West. "Animals have a way of naturally bonding with people. They have a way of identifying when people are stressed and anxious. Scrunchie just has that natural knack where she knows what you need when you need it."
Thanks to the combination of therapy and puppy love, Ayden has made a full 180 and now has over 100 words in his vocabulary.
“It’s rewarding. It’s one of those things that you always hope that comes sooner rather than later," Quintana said. "The way we look at it is that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Anyone that is struggling with these types of issues, I strongly recommend to come and visit the team here because it’s been life-changing."
