So could you please pass this on?

[mattblakk]

Cross post this as widely as you can. Thanks.

http://www.mattblakk.com/dog.html

http://www.cafepress.com/mattblakk

Comments

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Made one just for you.

[validextension.livejournal.com]

i keep trying to donate, but PayPal is "having problems processing credit card transactions."

i will try again later.

[pegsioux.livejournal.com]

Done. Love you muchly.

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Thanks, PS. Hope you're feeling OK.

You don't know me but....

[cani-dragonfly.livejournal.com]

I read an entry that you posted on the Autism Community, and really enjoy reading your journal and about Blake. Hope you don't mind. Just wanted to say that I ordered the "proud parent of a kid with AUTISM", and hope that all goes well with getting the dog for Blake.

Re: You don't know me but....

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm going to try to raise enough money for 3 dogs, so Blake and two other kids can have the benefits.

Hope today is a good day for you and yours.

another option

[glowroper.livejournal.com]

I don't need any t-shirts, but I did decide to "buy a beer for Blake" through paypal.

Looking forward to your panel at the FTMI conference.

Thomas

[rarkrarkrark.livejournal.com]

You know, various people around me have wanted to make 'autistic people rock' (pun very much intended) stickers/shirts/whatever. I think it's hilarious and would make a great fundraising item. But maybe it's one of those things that only other auties find absolutely hilarious (I've actually been yelled at for 'making fun of autistic people' by people who weren't autistic and mostly had no connection [other than random stories on the news or whatnot] to it, but it's not my fault that NT folks have no sense of humor ;) ).

What does the pink t-shirt say? I can't read it (well, I can read "autism" but not what's above it).

I've thought of getting a service dog for pretty much exactly the same reasons you wrote about on your webpage. For some reasonable chunk of most days I can pull everything together, act mostly NT (to the point where my docs have a tendency to massively overestimate what I can handle/underestimate the severety of the autism) , but when it's gone, it's gone, and I'm 26 and still worry about wandering out into the middle of the street or stimming and not noticing (though I suppose I'll make my standard pet rant here about how stimming isn't inherently bad. Though when it's distracting one from watching a situation one needs to be watching, that's a problem). The other reason is that when I'm out in public beyond the "nt faking zone" some people see me as a *great* target, and a dog would both tend to discourage that in general, simply by being there, and also could be trained to be protective (not necessarily a gaurd dog and certainly not an 'attack dog' -- sufficient size and some growling will do a heck of a lot towards this end). Mostly I just avoid going out and dealing with people most of the time, though. A dog would help with increasing the amount of time I can be out and about rather than at home. At the same time, I'm allergic to dogs (been thinking standard poodle, but I want to make damn sure I'm not allergic to them too, though preliminary tests are hopeful, also other animals -- I've heard of sheltland ponies and mini horses being used as service animals, but not specifically for autistic people and I'm unsure if they are smart enough to be trained in everything necessary) and don't have the stability for one at this point anyway. But maybe someday.

Oh, the other major reason would be because it could be trained to come get me when people are at the door/the phone is ringing/etc, because I have a tendency to hyperfocus on whatever I'm doing so strongly that I miss those cues.

Though I have to admit I've only thought of tethering myself to a dog in terms of keeping myself from wandering off (I used to rope myself to things and I've been thinking about picking that up again. It's a PITA, but it keeps me from dropping carrier in the middle of things and wandering off...though tying people to their tasks is one of those things that I think is pefectly okay if the person decides to do it and generally not okay when others decide to do it to a person) and not in terms of training/therapy/etc, but it probably works a lot better with a kid anyway :P

[the1mouse.livejournal.com]

Hi there...

I haven't donated to Blakes cause yet, but I will be. :)

I'm a friend of noahboyz... I'd love to be your friend too, if that's okay. :)

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Can't ever have enough friends, I'd love to be your friend.

Another "you don't know me"

[danilrat.livejournal.com]

I actually saw the link to the page about the service dogs posted on a rat message board and it really caught my attention. A young cousin of mine, about the same age as your son, is Autistic as well.
Unfortunately at the moment I'm a very broke college student, however, if you don't mind I'd like to post the link on a few other places I frequent.
Good luck with raising the funds.

Re: Another "you don't know me"

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Yeah, thanks. Please post it freely.