How my daughter uses technology to direct her service dog

The Nora Project team knows that disability creates opportunities for creativity and connection, and that with dedication and belief, so many things are possible. Here's a story from our longtime teammate Rebecca, who put that knowledge to use, making her daughter Ellie's dream of getting a service dog come true, and then empowering Ellie to use AAC to engage with her dog Rupert independently.

My 8 year old daughter Ellie is non speaking and is a Total Communicator, meaning she uses many forms of communication to express herself and connect with others and the world around her. She uses vocalizations, gestures, facial expressions, sign, body language, as well as high and low tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). 

The high tech communication method that she uses is her Tobii Dynavox I-17 eye gaze device. The device, much like a large computer, is mounted onto her wheelchair and sits in front of her at eye level. It contains eye tracking software and when she looks at the screen, it tracks what her pupils are pointed at. She has over 2,000 words and phrases on her device and when she dwells her eyes on a word or phrase on the screen, it auditorily says it out loud. She can combine words to make sentences and navigate through the dynamic language set up to find exactly what she wants to say. One of the first things she said with her Tobii when she got it initially was that she wanted a service dog! And after a two year process, her dream came true!

In September 2020, Ellie and I spent a week at Canine Companions North Central Region in Columbus, Ohio where she was matched with her 2 year old service dog named Rupert. We learned all of the 40+ commands, tasks, and behaviors he had been trained in and  became a team of three! Some of these tasks include picking items up from the floor, opening doors, providing calming deep pressure therapy, playing interactive games, and more. Because Ellie is a child and is not able to independently handle Rupert and all of his daily care, I was trained as Rupert’s facilitator. This means that I am responsible for the safety and well-being of Rupert and my job is to encourage and grow the bond between Ellie and Rupert through the use of his tasks. Rupert looks to me as the leader, but he knows Ellie is his person. 

We were told by Canine Companions throughout the application, waitlist, and Team Training process that it would likely be possible to train Ellie’s dog to respond to her Tobii but that it would depend on the dog Ellie was matched with to see how quickly they would pick it up. 

Within a few weeks of Rupert being home with us, I knew he was a remarkable, special dog and had high hopes we would be able to train him to respond to Ellie’s Tobii. With the guidance of trainers at Canine Companions over the next few months, Ellie and I did 15 minute training sessions twice a day. This involved Ellie giving the command with her Tobii, example “Rupert, sit,” then I verbally would echo the exact same words and say “Rupert, sit.” Over time, I would fade out my echo and Rupert would follow only what Ellie was saying with her Tobii. First, we practiced the commands in the quiet predictable environment of inside our house, then outside, and finally out in public where there are a lot of distractions and Rupert has to listen carefully and be very focused.

Over the course of the last year, Ellie and I have trained Rupert with over ten commands that he can respond to via Ellie’s Tobii. Our hope is to one day be able to have him trained in all 40+ commands he knows! Having Ellie give Rupert commands with her Tobii is phenomenal speech therapy practice including navigating her device, timing, planning what she wants to say next, as well as strengthening the bond between her and Rupert. She is empowered to take an active role in telling her service dog what to do and how he can help her more!

Rebecca Kuntz has been a part of team TNP for almost three years and currently serves as administrative coordinator. You can follow along on her adventures with Ellie and Rupert on Instagram, @lifewithelliegirl.