A specially-trained assistance dog could a save a six-year-old Colac boy’s life.
Matthew Houtsma is autistic and needs constant supervision.
The gentle and reserved son of Colac’s Rachael and Chris Houtsma is obsessed with numbers and letters and struggles with anxiety.
“If something with numbers on it catches his eye, he’ll run across the road in front of cars to touch it,” Mrs Houtsma said.
“He has quite high anxiety and it can get to the stage where he is uncontrollable,” she said.
Righteous Pups Australia has approved Matthew for an autism assistance dog.
The dog will be specially raised, socialised and trained to help Matthew, a Grade One pupil at Colac Specialist School, in his day-to-day life.
“We are hoping the dog will interrupt his anxiety before he gets to melt-down stage,” Mrs Houtsma said.
“We are also hoping it can be trained for road awareness,” she said.
“And it is also just to have a friend.
“He doesn’t really socialise with his peers like other six-year-olds.”
The family will raise $29,000 for RPA to help the organisation train, socialise and feed assistance dogs.
When the Houtsmas have raised the money, RPA will select a two-year-old, partially-trained Labrador with a suitable temperament to help Matthew.
Matthew will then spend two weeks in Sydney with RPA where he will bond with the dog and it will learn specific commands to help him.
“We want to get the community behind us,” Mrs Houtsma said.
“The dog would really make Matthew’s life easier, and ours,” she said.
Matthew has two little sisters Michiela, 4, and Meghan, almost 2.
Mrs Houtsma said Matthew’s autism became apparent when he was two years old.
“There were delays with his development,” she said.
“He was not speaking; there is no imaginative play with autistic children and they have repetitive behaviours.”
To help Matthew and RPA, go to www.righteouspups.org.au.
Please quote Matthew Houtsma’s name when making donations to help him reach his $29,000 goal.

CHALLENGE: Colac’s Michiela, 4, Rachael and Matthew Houtsma, 6. The Houtsma family will raise $29,000 for Righteous Pups Australia to help train an assistance dog for Matthew, who is autistic.