Copelan
Copelan is our sweet, loving, and very active ‘SonShine’. Copelan is 4 years old and resides in Ave Maria, FL. Copelan loves water and is learning every day to become a better swimmer. He also enjoys soccer, basketball, and running (astonishingly he can run almost a mile!). Copelan really enjoys being outside. He also loves playing with his older sisters. Copelan’s true joy is music. He loves all music and specifically loves playing the drums. Lastly, Copelan enjoys helping in the kitchen and cooking. He likes to help with breakfast and dinner and enjoys making homemade bread and pasta.
At 12 months old, we realized Copelan was not responding to his name or meeting his milestones. Copelan was diagnosed at 17 months old with autism spectrum disorder. He immediately started 40 hours of ABA therapy at Mindful Masterpieces. All of his therapists have truly become our family, and we are so thankful for them. He also has been in speech and OT since he was 3 years old.
Copelan is nonverbal and struggles a lot with regulation, sensory overload, and is sensory seeking. He also experiences severe meltdowns, sleeping issues, and eloping. Our family loves to be active and experience new things together. We want to continue to be able to do all that life grants us with the support of an assistance dog for Copelan.
We believe that an autism assistance dog for Copelan will truly change his life! This dog will be his companion and will help him through the tough spots in his daily life. We are asking for any support you can offer in making this dream come true for our son and family. Thank you in advance for your contribution to Copelan’s Autism Assistance Dog—Every bit counts!!