Mum from Coventry says assistance dog has changed autistic son's life
Peter and his cavapoo Coco have been together since 2022
A mother from Coventry tells us her son Peter has made a lot of progress after becoming one of the first people in the country to receive an assistance dog.
Angela Wilson's son is autistic, and he has been supported by his cavapoo Coco for the past couple of years.
Angela has seen her son's life improve both in and out of the home since Coco came into their family home. She said, "The impact on Peter's been amazing.
"He is in a mainstream secondary school and Coco goes to school with him three mornings a week.
She does Science, Maths and English lessons with him keeps him really grounded within those lessons and just gives him the confidence to live his life day-to-day."
Angela found out about the Dogs for Autism charity through Facebook, spending time travelling to their centre before being able to receive an assistance dog.
After a puppy had been chosen for Peter, it took more than a year for the two to form a strong bond and go through training. Angela said, "It's so important that they have that bond from, from the puppy being a young age and she knows that she's there for him.
"It was really important that Peter had that time on his own with the trainer, with the dog making that bond so she can tune into him.
She solely tunes into him and he's emotionally support."
Peter and Coco spend most of their time together, whether it is at school, at home, out in the supermarket or on a day trip.