Brandy and Val

So, a few weeks ago marked the end of another school year helping out the kids afflicted with autism spectrum disorder.  We think we did a lot of good stuff and so saw major progress.  In retrospect, probably more progress than last year but we are sure it’s a cumulative thing.  Part of what goes on with these kids is that they like consistency in their lives and the fact that we are a regular part of their schedule makes them more comfortable.  The students know we are part of their routines and they love when we come into the rooms.

Brandy says: In the past, I spoke of two kids who I work with who were so afraid they would barely touch me and would often flinch away.   By the end of this year, both would take me for walks and would pet me on several parts of my body–from the head down my back.  They would also look at me and talk to me.  This was a very dramatic and uplifting turn of events.  With both of our classes, the kids had pictograph cards with multiple words or phrases.  By the end of the year, the kids had their “favorite” commands they would like to do with me, but, generally, by the end of they year, all could read and/or respond to the words and pictures on the cards.  With the more advance kids, we were able to do multiple word exercises like: “WALK” “SIT” “SHAKE” “UP” and walk back around the room.  It was fun to do a variety of tasks at one time and the kids really liked doing this.  It was more interesting to them than only doing one word commands.

Val says:  My kids are younger than the ones that Brandy works with so we like to play games that have to do with colors and numbers.  The cup game, where we hide food under a colored cup and then I get to “find” it by flipping the cup over with my nose is very popular.  The kids really think it’s funny when I find the treat.  One of the favorite activities, though, continues to be when they get to walk the hallways with me.  I think they feel important and empowered that they get to walk around the building with me and no one else gets to do that.  Also, people in the hall give us attention and we all like that!

We look forward to see where we are headed next year.  We have asked the teachers to come up with some expanded activities based on all we’ve accomplished this year.  Happy Summer!

Brandy and Val’s mission is to enrich the lives of others through their pet therapy duties and through the sales of their books and toys.  They hope to help the families, as well as the children, they work with and sales from their products benefit animal sanctuaries throughout the U.S.  To learn more about these special dogs, visit their website, Brandy and Val, LLC.

Have you ever traveled with your pets on board a plane? I used to commute with my cats, Oscar and Ragmonster. Both fit very nicely underneath the seat in front of me and my husband and back then (about 20 years ago) it was a breeze compared with now. I recently heard that airlines charge up to $125 EACH WAY to stuff kitty underneath…..unbelievable. I hardly would ever be charged and when they nabbed me, I don’t recall ever paying more than $50. Oscar, a long-haired tabby, was so hairy that security made me take him out of his cage so they could wand him!!!! It made for an hysterical site. Oscar, not too pleased, at least cooperated. I know that I was very lucky when I say that we never had to sedate the cats, they behaved and never got sick. At times, we would even sneak them on our laps to sleep during the flight.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM ANYONE WHO HAS USED PET AIRWAYS. I love the idea but I doubt I could muster the courage to use this service even though flying fidos around are their specialty. What I’d really love to have is an airline that would allow me to be with my pooches, Brandy and Val, who hardly fit beneath my seat (whether it be individually or together). I recall reading a travel article last year that spoke about this and I believe the passenger would have a seat with the pooch in a designated cargo area. I WISH I COULD REMEMBER where I read this and I should have saved the article. I think it mostly had to do with travel to Europe. If anyone knows about this PLEASE EMAIL ME at info@BrandyandVal.com. Unfortunately, a private jet is currently out of budget.

Since I would never put Brandy and Val in cargo, plane travel is out of the question but for those interested here are some articles/sites you might want to check out:

NY TIMES 5/23/11

PetFriendlyTravel.com

Brandy and Val would love to hear your flying experiences if you have any.

Brandy and Val, LLC’s mission is “to do good where good is needed” and it is through the sales of their books and toys that they hope to benefit the lives of animals and children.  Brandy and Val are also pet therapy dogs working with children afflicted with autism.   Please visit our website for more information about us!

I’ve received this video from a few of my friends. It’s been viewed a zillion times but in case you haven’t seen it yet…..

As I walk our residential, bucolic neighborhood with Brandy and Val, I am increasingly concerned about the seemingly growing number of unfriendly dogs I see, both on-leash with their guardians and left alone to roam their yards behind the “safety” of the invisible fence.  I pretty much get unnerved because, should one of these pets go after Brandy and Val, I’m at a loss as to how I can control the situation given my pups’ size and strength.  I am even more fearful that Brandy and Val might get pissed off enough to retaliate and who knows what would happen?   Luckily, 99% of the time Brandy and Val stare down these snarling canines in sheer contempt, never uttering a sound and walk on by.  The other 1% of the time, Brandy will bark and express her feeling about who she feels is really the boss and then move on with that, “I did good, huh, mom?” attitude.   Val always remains unflustered–silent Bob we call him for all those CLERKS fans out there.

Last year, I wrote a post about how to break up a confrontation after one the of the local dogs did take aim at Brandy and Val.  I think I’ll reread my post and its’ advice!  Either way, what I really want to know is, why are these dogs so apparently mean?  Are they really or do they just sound nasty?  Are they being socialized properly or what is the story?

Apparently, I am not alone in my concerns as a city version of my encounters made headlines in the story “Civility on the Way Out? Add Dogs to That List” Dogs being interviewed by co-op boards are not unusual now; dogs being relegated to service elevators; dogs having surgeries to remove their barks are not unheard of, as well.

But why?

We all love our dogs but, like our kids, they need to be trained, socialized and “allowed” to grow up (Get over it!  Your pooch does NOT need to be wrapped in goofy clothes and carried around like an infant in a Birken or LV).   As we ourselves become less socialized as our eyes remain glued to phones or texting as we walk down the street, do our dogs sense a disconnect as well?  Do we not mind that many may no longer be socializing our pets to get along with others?  What do you think?

ARGH, what next?

Brandy and Val try to spread the love by helping people through their pet therapy duties and through the sales of their books and toys. Included in their board book series is: BRANDY AND VAL, REAL DOGS WITH REAL TALES; BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS and BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY.  To learn more about the causes Brandy and Val support, visit their website at BrandyandVal.com

Following up on last week’s post, I went to see WRETCHES & JABBERERS this past weekend and was pleased to see the theater fill up to almost capacity.   The documentary did not disappoint and it was exciting and touching to be a part of Tracy and Larry’s world and world-wide adventure.  My husband, who did not attend the symposium with me two weeks ago, was as impressed with and surprised by Tracy and Larry’s accomplishments and achievements as was I.  We both clearly wondered how many of the kids with whom we work can achieve more than they are being given credit for?  Why isn’t more being done to  help this group forge friendships  amongst themselves and find employment in areas that don’t require strong verbal skills?

It was so emotional to watch Tracy and Larry interact with their peers who have autism, and watch them form friendships, socialize and have conversations as you and I would have.  Their abilities to type opened up their world of communication.  The people they met up with in Japan, Finland, Sri Lanka were thrilled to have met people just like them who were functioning at a high level in society .   My heart went out to all of them who clearly did not want Tracy and Larry to leave.    Tracy and Larry have become role models and world ambassadors for those afflicted with autism and I hope that the friends they met along the way who are also being misunderstood because they are non-verbal will make the cause their own in their own countries a la Tracy and Larry.

The film made me so curious to find out how people with autism are being assessed and tested in the country and what is being done to create opportunities for them.   How can I help the process move forward?  Will Brandy and Val and other pet therapy dogs have a role ?  I have a lot of reading to do!

Our mission at Brandy and Val, LLC is “to do good where good is needed.”  It is through our book and toy sales and pet therapy duties that we hope to enrich the lives of others and help animals in need throughout the country.  Want to comment or contact us?  We’d love to hear from you.  http://www.BrandyandVal.com

April is Autism Awareness Month and, as many of you who follow this blog know, Brandy and Val are pet therapy dogs who work with children who have ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder.  We blog from time to time about the activities we do with the kids and last year we provided a bunch of links about information on autism in our first Autism Awareness Month post.  Along the way, people have interviewed us about how we help and if we’ve seen progress;  I can categorically say we do.  I always wonder, though, if more couldn’t be done to socialize the kids, what goes through their minds  and how complex their thoughts are (or aren’t).

This past Wednesday, I was completely blown away by a lecture I went to sponsored by The New York Times.  Called “Changing the Face of Autism” the discussion revolved around two men, Tracy Thresher and Larry Bissonnette, who are the subjects of a new documentary by Academy Award winning producer-director Gerardine Wurzburg.   Tracy, an advocate for people with disabilities and his friend Larry, also an advocate in addition to being an artist, happen to have autism.  They see their mission as one of  ”mopping up audiences’ old beliefs about autism” (Larry’s words)  and they want to emphatically state that:

• Even though they are non-verbal, they HAVE THOUGHTS AND IDEAS just like those who speak.  They are just unable to express them through speaking
• They are very aware of the uninitiated’s views on autism and people with autism.  They are extremely frustrated and deeply affected by it.
• People should be defined by their passions not their disabililites

Larry and Tracy were lucky enough to have found programs that enabled them to learn to type, thereby allowing them to communicate freely with the rest of us.  With today’s technology, including voice activation software, the audience was able to see and hear their thoughts as they typed them.  Their eloquence and sense of humor is amazing and their thoughts on what needs to be done in terms of autism awareness, expansive.  They also made mention that the iPad is starting to revolutionize how non-verbal people communicate.   There’s an app for that!

The president of the Autism Society of America, Lee Grossman, was also on the panel and what really struck me after listening to Larry, Tracy and Lee was the realization there are a lot more people with autism that are not being given the opportunity to be productive citizens solely because they are non-verbal.  Lee elaborated that it is unknown how many non-verbal people can function at high levels because programs and opportunities like Larry and Tracy’s aren’t widespread. He believes that it is incumbent upon us as a society to find ways to recognize the talents of this population group so that they can obtain jobs and make meaningful contributions to their communities.

I was so saddened to think how many ASDers are shut out of having an active life, how aware and frustrated many of them are.  With so many programs, a grass-roots effort to change the way we look at remedying the circumstances is being glossed over due to lack of funding.  Tracy commented that, as a young boy he knew he was different and that “not being able to show people I understood what was going on around him was a jail sentence, so I would throw tantrums.”   How heartbraking.

Lucky for us that Tracy is free from  his jail and  in addition to promoting the movie (which is a MUST if it hits your city) he mentors students with autism at his old high school.  He and Larry have undertaken a truly worthy mission and we need to help them change the face of autism.  For more information, please visit the Autism Society website and absolutely check out the WRETCHES & JABBERERS website where you can also find links to Larry and Tracy’s blogs.

Do you have experience working with ASD children or adults?  Are you personally affected by someone with ASD?  We’d love to hear your story.  Please comment.  Our mission at Brandy and Val, LLC is “to do good where good is needed” and it is through our pet therapy participation and sales from our children’s board books and toys that we hope to benefit the lives of children and animals.

It was with great enthusiasm that I hoped to post some “petacular” videos and photos of pets dressed up and ready for spring from Macy’s Petacular.   In it’s 14th year, the show kicks off Spring in New York along with the spectacular flower and garden show the store hosts.  While I can say it was a spectacle, the only thing spectacular about it was what a crazy scene it was.  Hoards of people and lots of little dogs dressed up way too cutesy for my taste.  So much so, I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) even choose a best of the lot since they all looked like variations of the same thing.  Dogs, with tutus, dogs with flowers, dressed like flowers, yuk.   The float/balloons and costumed humans were far more interesting.

The area was SO crowded, I didn’t even go into the store to check out the flower show.  I’ll be back, though, since in my past experiences, the array of displays are dazzling and the lineup of freebies — from gardening seminars to flower arranging — NEVER disappoints.  The flower show is in full bloom through April 10.

Brandy and Val would have been so bummed.

FYI, our MARCH MADNESS buy one book get another FREE offer expires in only 72 hours!  Visit our website for more details.  In our continuing mission to “do good where good is needed” sales of our books and toys benefit animal shelters throughout the country.  Help support animals in need and bring a smile to a toddler’s face with Brandy and Val.

BRANDY AND VAL,

REAL DOGS WITH REAL TALES

Welcome to Spring 2011!  Brandy and Val have been overcome by MARCH MADNESS and in celebration, we are offering a BUY ONE BOOK get one FREE.  Take advantage of this special, good through March 30 on our website only.

Brandy and Val have also been in the news a lot since our last letter.  ChicGalleria blog featured us as we told our story of helping autistic children.  From there, I was interviewed by the WritersAuthorsBooksandMore blog about how the Brandy and Val, Real Dogs with Real Tales series came to be.  Most recently, the Calgary Herald included us in an article about therapy dogs.

Of course, as we continue our pet therapy duties, we see progress with each session.  The kids all respond favorably when we enter the room and new activities keep everyone interested, including Brandy and Val.  Keep up with what we do on our blog, What We’re Barking About.  Comments and ideas are most welcome so please participate.  Not a blogger?  Reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter @brandyandval.

Sales from all Brandy and Val products benefit animal shelters and other good causes….an even better reason to order during our BUY ONE GET ONE BOOK FREE offer now through March 30.

Until next time, thanks for your support!

Ilene Fine, Author

Brandy and Val, Brandy and Val’s Favorite Things, Brandy and Val’s Special Story

NOW THROUGH MARCH 30, BUY ONE BOOK, GET ONE FREE!  YES, FREE!  ORDER ONLY AT BRANDY AND VAL.COM

All sales benefit animal shelters throughout the United States.  Feel good with every purchase!

BRANDY AND VAL

BRANDY AND VAL’S FAVORITE THINGS

We have lots of Favorite Things

BRANDY AND VAL’S SPECIAL STORY

100% of profits go to animal rescue

MINI BRANDY AND MINI VAL TOYS