Logen Hustedt wants a dog.
It might not sound like such a noteworthy thing, a little boy wanting a dog. But Logen isn’t an ordinary little boy, and he’s not looking for an ordinary dog.
Logen, 4, was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum in February.
“Around the time Logen was 2 ½, we noticed that he didn’t use his words as much as other kids his age,” said Steve Hustedt, Logen’s father. “We knew that he knew them. We have all the typical videos of him saying Dad, Mom, and so on, but he just wasn’t using them.”
Logen started receiving therapy through the Liverpool Central School District, where the Hustedt family lives. After consulting with his doctor, teachers and therapists, Logen underwent testing for autism this winter and was found to be on the spectrum.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by a wide range of symptoms affecting communication, social skills and behavior. Some people with ASD are only mildly impaired, while others are severely disabled. ASD affects roughly 1 in 68 kids, and it’s five times more likely to be diagnosed in boys than in girls. Its causes are unknown, though research suggests genetics play a factor.
For his part, Logen is mostly nonverbal. He also tends to wander away from the safety of his home and family. In order to both protect him and help him communicate, Steve and his wife Tricia are hoping to get him an autism therapy dog through 4 Paws for Ability, an Ohio-based nonprofit that trains therapy dogs.
“Logen has gotten out of the house before,” said Steve Hustedt, who added that the family, which also includes Page, 7, and Cole, 2, has put in eight security cameras as well as alarms on all of the doors and Logen’s second-story bedroom window. “Whenever we’re in public, there’s an added element of danger. His dog would be trained help keep him from running off or putting himself in danger. More importantly, should he manage to run off the dog will be trained to track him.”
The problem is that autism therapy dogs are outside of the family’s budget. 4 Paws for Ability, which works mostly with volunteers, charges less than other organizations, but it still costs $15,000 to train the dogs, which are highly skilled in not only calming children with autism and preventing them from self-injurious behaviors — common in some children with autism — but also in tracking, which is necessary for kids like Logen, who don’t understand the dangers inherent in the world around them.
The Hustedts have started a fundraising page in order to help raise the money to get Logen his dog. To donate, visit tinyurl.com/logensdog or mail donations directly to 4 Paws For Ability, Ability, Inc., 253 Dayton Ave, Xenia, Ohio 45385.
Steve said Logen will be matched with a dog as soon as they match their fundraising goal of $15,000 — and they’re already almost halfway there.
“Once we meet our fundraising goal, Logen will be matched with a dog. The dog will then be trained for 18 months specifically to meet Logen’s needs. Once the dog is trained our family will spend two weeks being trained in how to work with the dog before it comes home with us,” he said. “It is a long and costly process, but well worth it if it helps Logen be the best he can be.”
That’s the Hustedts’ primary concern—helping Logen to just be Logen, a sweet, loving boy who enjoys playing Mario, loves his brother and sister and connects deeply with both people and animals.
“Autism is a particularly challenging diagnosis because each person on the spectrum is so different,” Steve said. “Even as we came to terms with it, we still often have had to explain to family, friends and the community that in the end Logen is just Logen. Like all 4-year-olds, he has strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes he needs some extra care or patience, but he’s also an incredible little boy with some amazing gifts to share with the world.”
