Cooper will also provide a sense of familiarity and companionship.
Kaiden, from Pāpāmoa, does not sleep well at night. His mum Elley says Kaiden wakes twice every night and needs to be settled back to sleep.
This is where the Australian labradoodle can help. Cooper will sleep on Kaiden's bed and be a comfort when he wakes.
"Along with being easily overwhelmed in social situations, Kaiden is prone to terrible nightmares. His new therapy pup will provide comfort and companionship for him at night — meaning a better night's sleep," Elley says.
"The more he sleeps the better he copes with day to day life."
Elley says autism is a hidden disability.
"Most people do not realise the toll that daily life takes on Kaiden or understand his behaviours when he becomes overloaded."
Having a dog of his own will make the world a little less scary for him, she says.
Kaiden is home schooled. He can't wait to get four-month-old Cooper and is looking forward to "everything" that having a pet entails, including teaching Cooper to sit and roll over.
Cooper is being trained by Wendy Isaacs from Therapy Dogs New Zealand until he goes to Kaiden at the end of January.
A therapy dog is trained to provide affection, comfort, support and love for children and adults with a physical or emotional disability.
Therapy dogs differ from assistance dogs, which are trained to be task-specific.
Wendy started Therapy Dogs New Zealand this year.
She has more than 30 years' experience working with dogs, including working with Assistance Dogs New Zealand as a trainer.
"There is a lot of kids with anxiety and other issues. I just felt there was a huge need out there."
Her preference is labradoodles as they mature quickly and are calm.
"They are playful, but easy to manage.
"They are friendly, with high affection — they need and give affection. A dog changes their whole ability to be able to connect with others."
The cost varies and pups are around $10,000. The Mullany family recently received $3300 from Mazda Foundation to go towards costs.
The Mullanys have more to raise, so if you can help, check out www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/kaidens-therapy-dog
THERAPY DOGS NEW ZEALAND
Dogs trained by Therapy Dogs New Zealand support people with autism spectrum disorder, global developmental delay, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, confidence issues, depression, chronic illness, loneliness, isolation and more.
Labradoodle puppies are bred in Australia and have a temperament for all types of therapy roles, including providing disability support, emotional or reading support, and there are dogs for facilities.
■Resource: www.therapydogs.co.nz
