My Dog Gusto

By Brayden

GUSTO

HI MY NAME IS BRAYDEN.  I AM EIGHT YEARS OLD.  I HAVE AUTISM.  I USE A BOARD THAT HAS THE ALPHABET ON IT.  I SPELL OUT ON IT WHAT I WANT TO SAY AND MY MOM HOLDS MY BOARD.  IT’S CALLED RPM, RAPID PROMPTING METHOD.

I RECEIVED GUSTO ON MAY 3, 2013.  I WAS NOT SURE ABOUT GUSTO AT FIRST BUT WHEN HE LICKED ME I KNEW IT WOULD WORK OUT ON MAY 3, 2013.

I COULDNT EXPRESS MYSELF BEFORE I LEARNED RPM.  RPM STANDS FOR RAPID PROMPTING METHOD.  I WAS SO DEPRESSED BECAUSE I FELT ALONE EVEN THOUGH I HAD MY FAMILY.  A PART OF AUTISM IS HAVING DIFFICULTY IN EXPRESSING YOURSELF.  I LOVE MY PARENTS FOR HAVING FOUND RPM AND BECAUSE OF THEM I HAVE FOUND MY VOICE.   I LOVE SOMA FOR TEACHING RPM.  IT SAVED ME FROM AN INTERNAL PRISON OF HAVING NO VOICE.

GUSTO HELPS KEEP ME CALM AND RELAXED BY STAYING BESIDE ME.  GUSTO HELPS KEEP ME FOCUSED AND ON TASK WHEN WE ARE OUT IN PUBLIC BY HOLDING HIS HANDLE.  HE HAS GIVEN ME INDEPENDENCE BY WALKING BY MYSELF AND NOT HAVING TO HOLD HANDS WITH A ADULT ANYMORE.   I DON’T LIKE TO HOLD HANDS BECAUSE IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A BABY.  HE GIVES ME UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.  HE STAYS WITH ME ALL THE TIME. HE IS MY ONLY CONSTANT IN MY LIFE AND THAT MAKES ME FEEL SECURE ESPECIALLY WHEN I AM IN A NEW PLACE.  HE TRAVELED WITH ME TO TEXAS TO SEE SOMA AND LEARN RPM AND THAT WAS A STRESSFUL TRIP.   I HAD GUSTO THERE BY MY SIDE AND THAT’S WHAT I NEEDED TO HAVE BECUASE GUSTO HELPED ME.  HE IS MY BEST FRIEND.  HE HELPED ME THOUGHT A DARK TIME IN MY LIFE.   I LIKE HAVING A SERVICE DOG AND I FEEL LUCKY TO HAVE GUSTO.

Gusto and Brayden

Brayden is from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.  He was diagnosed with autism at 3 years old.  He has been proudly expressing himself for 4 months using RPM. He likes to write stories about his life experiences.  He loves to learn about science, math, computer science, animals, history, geography and anything really.  He is passionate about space and his goal in life is to go to university and work for NASA designing spaceships and doing ground research.

Brayden and his mom keep a blog called Super Brayden.