Video of autistic Arizona woman and her comforting dog goes viral
Jun 22, 2015, 2:55 PM | Updated: 2:56 pm
WARNING: Video contains content that may disturb some viewers
PHOENIX — A video of a dog comforting an autistic Arizona woman during a breakdown has gone viral.
The video was posted to YouTube by 24-year-old Tempe resident Danielle Jacobs. She has Asperger’s syndrome, a developmental disorder that makes it difficult for her to socialize and communicate, which can lead to breakdowns. It is part of the autism spectrum.
Jacobs trained her dog, Samson, to comfort her after she has various types of episodes, including the one shown in the video. People with autism sometimes self-harm during meltdowns, which is why Jacobs is hitting herself.
The video had been viewed more than five million times as of Monday afternoon.
