Howard is so in tune with Piper

“Our goal is to maximise Piper’s potential so she can live the best way she can, in the most comfortable way she can.”

Those are the words of Ian Adamson, whose seven-year-old daughter, Piper, is autistic and that ethos is what led them on a journey with national charity, Support Dogs.

Piper recently graduated alongside handsome black Labrador, Howard, as an official Support Dogs partnership.

It follows almost a year of the three-year-old wonderdog living and working as Piper’s autism assistance dog.

Howard bounded into the Adamsons’ lives last November and since then, the family has seen a massive change in the youngster – and family life is a lot less stressful.

Piper gets dysregulated and was known to run off suddenly, a common trait in autistic youngsters, making it difficult to go out as a family as Ian and mum Laura would have to go out separately, or trips were often cut short.

But upon noticing that Piper had an affinity with animals, and after hearing about Yorkshire-based Support Dogs, they entered the application process and were lucky to eventually be matched with Howard.

The family noticed a change in Piper “almost immediately”.

Now Howard is a much-valued member of the family, providing a calming influence and focus for Piper, for instance in busy environments or at bedtime.

Howard also supports hospital appointments and transitions to new environments. And where previously, Piper may not have wanted to go to school some days, now she is happy to walk with him to school.

“Howard’s presence has been nothing short of transformative"

“He’s not only provided support and companionship, but he’s also given us peace of mind in ways we never expected.”

As she got older, the couple noticed their daughter struggling with various settings.

“She would withdraw or explode – she was over-stimulated,”

But after a consultant recommended Support Dogs, they applied for an autism assistance dog – and have never looked back.

Now, thanks to Howard, Piper and her family don’t have to miss out.

Just recently, with Howard in tow, the Adamsons enjoyed a show in London – something they could only have dreamed of before.

Car journeys are much more pleasant too – with Howard in the car, Piper can go for hours without an outburst.

The family is even considering a holiday in France now they have their super-canine to help Piper keep her cool.

Describing the magical bond between Piper and Howard, Ian said: “It’s amazing – Howard’s probably the only creature that can bring her back to calmness.