Seven-year-old Clayton Donohue runs his hands through the wavy yellow coat of Ekcoe, a lean golden retriever, and smiles. "I love Ekcoe," he says, leaning his freckled face in close to the affable dog.

As the "ambassador" for National Service Dogs, Ekcoe is used to making house calls to prospective clients. Through a pioneering program that pairs children with autism to working canines, Clayton will soon receive a special pet of his own.

Clayton was three when he was diagnosed with autism.

"As our third child, we weren't looking for anything to be wrong," says Crystal Donohue. "We called Clayton's behaviour 'quirky.' He was obsessive and liked routine."

Donohue says Clayton would become upset, for instance, if the family took an unfamiliar route travelling in the car. read more