NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans)
Encyclopedia
NEADS is a nationwide American
501(c)3 nonprofit program that provides trained assistance dog
s to deaf
and disabled
Americans.
campus of Holliston Junior College. With seed money from the Medfield
Lions Club, students in the Animal Care Program determined that hearing dogs could be trained to become "ears" for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. In 1987, after training over 400 hearing dog "teams," The Hearing Ear Dog Program expanded to train service dogs to become the "arms and/or legs" for people with physical disabilities. In 1989, to reflect these new services, The Hearing Ear Dog Program changed its name to New England Assistance Dog Services (NEADS). NEADS began the Prison PUPs Partnership in 1998, in which prison inmates foster and train service dog puppies for one to two years. In 2000, NEADS expanded its services to include the training of balance/walker dogs to aid people who have difficulties with balance
, and social facilitated therapy dogs trained to assist children living with autism
. In 2006, NEADS began a specialty program for injured soldiers returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan
wars through their Canines for Combat Veterans program. The organization now resides on an 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) campus in Princeton
.
and rescued dogs for its program. In partnership with several local animal shelters, homeless and abandoned dogs are selected for aptitude, temperament and ability, and are trained by NEADS staff to become hearing dogs. NEADS also receives donated purebred dogs from breeders
. These puppies are trained via a multi-step process: the puppies begin socialization at the Laura J. Niles Early Learning Center, are trained in the Prison PUP Program, and are returned to the NEADS campus to receive advanced training.
, where inmates train the dogs for one to two years. As early as 16 weeks, puppies live, train, and bond with inmates. NEADS trainers visit the facilities once a week to teach the inmates how to train their puppies, and to monitor progress.
The prison pups spend weekends with volunteer "weekend puppy raisers," who educate the dogs about the outside world by taking the dogs with them everywhere they go: to the movies, grocery shopping, and experiencing general socialization.
s the dogs then go into service mode. They assist by picking up dropped items, retrieving articles and turning lights on and off." In addition to all the tasks that service dogs provide, some veterans report that they discover newfound confidence through their canine companions as well.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
501(c)3 nonprofit program that provides trained assistance dog
Assistance dog
An assistance dog is a dog trained to aid or assist a person with a disability. Many are trained by a specific organization, while others are trained by their handler .-Classification:...
s to deaf
Hearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
and disabled
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
Americans.
History
NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans) began in 1976 as The Hearing Ear Dog Program, on the Lenox, MassachusettsLenox, Massachusetts
Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Set in Western Massachusetts, it is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,077 at the 2000 census. Where the town has a border with Stockbridge is the site of Tanglewood, summer...
campus of Holliston Junior College. With seed money from the Medfield
Medfield, Massachusetts
Medfield is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,024 according to the 2010 Census. Medfield is an affluent community about 17 miles southwest of Boston....
Lions Club, students in the Animal Care Program determined that hearing dogs could be trained to become "ears" for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. In 1987, after training over 400 hearing dog "teams," The Hearing Ear Dog Program expanded to train service dogs to become the "arms and/or legs" for people with physical disabilities. In 1989, to reflect these new services, The Hearing Ear Dog Program changed its name to New England Assistance Dog Services (NEADS). NEADS began the Prison PUPs Partnership in 1998, in which prison inmates foster and train service dog puppies for one to two years. In 2000, NEADS expanded its services to include the training of balance/walker dogs to aid people who have difficulties with balance
Equilibrioception
Equilibrioception or sense of balance is one of the physiological senses. It helps prevent humans and animals from falling over when walking or standing still. Balance is the result of a number of body systems working together: the eyes , ears and the body's sense of where it is in space ideally...
, and social facilitated therapy dogs trained to assist children living with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
. In 2006, NEADS began a specialty program for injured soldiers returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
wars through their Canines for Combat Veterans program. The organization now resides on an 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) campus in Princeton
Princeton, Massachusetts
Princeton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States.It is bordered on the east by Sterling and Leominster, on the north by Westminster, on the northwest by Hubbardston, on the southwest by Rutland, and on the southeast by Holden....
.
Puppy Program
NEADS uses both purebredPurebred
Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
and rescued dogs for its program. In partnership with several local animal shelters, homeless and abandoned dogs are selected for aptitude, temperament and ability, and are trained by NEADS staff to become hearing dogs. NEADS also receives donated purebred dogs from breeders
Dog breeding
Dog breeding is the practice of mating selected specimens with the intent to maintain or produce specific qualities and characteristics.Dogs reproduce without human interference, so their offsprings' characteristics are determined by natural selection. Domestic dogs may be intentionally bred by...
. These puppies are trained via a multi-step process: the puppies begin socialization at the Laura J. Niles Early Learning Center, are trained in the Prison PUP Program, and are returned to the NEADS campus to receive advanced training.
Prison PUPs Program
The NEADS Prison PUPs Program was started in 1998. NEADS partners with 15 correctional facilities throughout New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, where inmates train the dogs for one to two years. As early as 16 weeks, puppies live, train, and bond with inmates. NEADS trainers visit the facilities once a week to teach the inmates how to train their puppies, and to monitor progress.
The prison pups spend weekends with volunteer "weekend puppy raisers," who educate the dogs about the outside world by taking the dogs with them everywhere they go: to the movies, grocery shopping, and experiencing general socialization.
Training
Dogs are taught over 70 commands in two years. They learn how to pick up keys, open doors, provide physical stability for their handler, and open and close the refrigerator, among other tasks. The cost to the organization to train each dog is around $30,000.Balance/walker, Classroom, Hearing, Ministry, Service, Social, Social facilitated therapy and Specialty
Between 1976 and 2009, NEADS placed more than 1,500 assistance dogs nationwide in the following categories:- Balance/walker dogs are trained to help people who require assistance with balance and stability.
- Classroom dogs are paired with social workers, therapists, and teachers who work with children who have physicalPhysical disabilityA physical disability is any impairment which limits the physical function of one or more limbs or fine or gross motor ability. Other physical disabilities include impairments which limit other facets of daily living, such as respiratory disorders and epilepsy....
, emotional or developmentalDevelopmental disabilityDevelopmental disability is a term used in the United States and Canada to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18. It is not synonymous with "developmental delay" which is often a consequence of a temporary illness or trauma during...
disabilities. They are integrated into the educational curriculum as motivators and serve as an innovative teaching tool for the children.
- Hearing dogs are trained to alert handlers to a ringing phone, an alarm, a knock at the door, and the sound of the handler's name. Dogs are trained to bring the handler back to where the sound originated.
- Ministry dogs are placed with a minister in a church setting or a chaplainChaplainTraditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
in an institutional setting. The dog accompanies the minister in his or her duties including visiting those in hospitals, nursing homes or private residences, conducting worship services, greeting parishioners, and attending meetings and day to day activities in the community.
- Service dogs are trained to retrieve things that drop or items from shelves and other hard-to-reach places; open refrigerator and other doors; push elevator buttons; turn light switches on and off; carry items in their mouths or backpacks; pull wheelchairs up ramps or short distances; and go get help should their partner need human assistance.
- Social dogs are trained to assist a therapist or counselor in settings such as nursing homes, halfway houses and psychotherapy centers.
- Social facilitated therapy dogs are trained to assist children and adults who can benefit from the therapeutic value of a dog, but are not able to assume total responsibility for its care and training. A third-party facilitator (parent, guardian or PCA) will help with the dog's daily needs and assist in public situations.
- Specialty dogs are trained to help people who have more than one disability.
Canines for Combat Veterans
The first Canines for Combat Veterans service dog, Rainbow, was placed in 2006 with Sergeant Roland Paquette, an Afghanistan war vet who lost both his legs. Rainbow was trained by an inmate at the Northeast Correctional Center. According to The Landmark, "NEADS dogs serve as walker dogs when the veterans are ambulatory and walking with their prosthetics. They provide balance when walking, going up and down stairs, and getting up from a sitting or fallen position. When the veterans remove their prosthetics and transfer to wheelchairWheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
s the dogs then go into service mode. They assist by picking up dropped items, retrieving articles and turning lights on and off." In addition to all the tasks that service dogs provide, some veterans report that they discover newfound confidence through their canine companions as well.