Stefan is 7 years old and has autism. He is a very active little boy who loves being outside, he has a cheeky smile and loves to make people laugh.

Due to his autism spectrum disorder Stefan struggles with going to new places which increases his anxiety because of the uncertainty of his surroundings and new people.

This causes him to become Situational (selective) mute, which means he can be withdrawn and non verbal, which is out of his control. This is because of unfamiliar environments and not knowing what to expect. Communication can then be very difficult for Stefan as he gets very frustrated with himself because he can’t verbalise for himself.

Stefan’s Sensory processing disorder means that he struggles with day to day issues with clothing, textures and noises.

When Stefan gets overwhelmed due to emotional and sensory issues things get too much, this can cause meltdowns where he can hurt himself and others.

We have joined with the Bradley Lowery Foundation to raise £12,000 for Stefans autism assistance dog.

Stefan would really benefit from having an autism assistance dog as it could help him regulate himself in new situations, it could provide deep pressure therapy at times of high anxiety and distress as well as well as being a companion for him.