'I saw something was wrong at six months - but we couldn't get a diagnosis for another six years'

"After just one session, he went from sleeping four hours a night to seven," the elated Gold Coast mum reveals. "I couldn't believe how fast and well it worked."

When her son, RJ was six months old, Salena noticed something a little out of the ordinary in his behaviour.

“He would try and clap his hands with one hand, with the fingertips to his palm, instead of together,” the Gold Coast mum tells Kidspot.

“But I put it to the back of my mind, not thinking anything more about it.”

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By 12 months old, however, RJ was doing things that made Salena realise there was far more going on than she initially expected.

“He was obsessed with pouring water from one cup to another,” the 36-year-old remembers.

“He would do that for hours. He would also not look people he didn’t know in the eye. That’s when the lightbulb went off.”

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RJ's mum Salena first noticed her son's symptoms when he was just six months old. Picture: Supplied

"I felt no one wanted to listen"

In the months that followed, it would be RJ’s late development of speech and motor skills that prompted Salena to engage early intervention therapies - all out of her own pocket.

“It cost me $1,500 a month,” the single mum says.

It wasn’t until her firstborn was four years old that he was able to access NDIS funding, then it took another “painstaking” two years to have RJ officially diagnosed with level two autism spectrum disorder.

“I felt no one wanted to listen,” she says frustratedly.

“The only ones who really were listening were the speech pathologists and daycare teachers.”

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RJ with his therapy dog Kora who his mum said helped him sleep better at night. Picture: Supplied

"I knew any sort of animal therapy would bring about a change"

After years of speech, occupational and psychology therapy, RJ’s life changed dramatically when he was introduced to Kora, a golden retriever cross labrador.

The nine-year-old has been attending sessions with the pup and her owner, Abigail, an occupational therapist, who works with children living with ASD and ADHD to help with their social skills, fine motor skills, emotional regulation and anxiety.

“I knew that any sort of animal therapy would bring about a change, but I had no idea how much,” Salena says of the start of their journey one year ago.

“He has a fear of dogs that are medium sized and up - and even though Kora was a puppy at the start - she was still bigger than the dogs he was normally comfortable with.”

Not only was RJ comfortable with Kora, the Year 3 student made an instant improvement after just one session.

“He walked out of the session and was asleep in the car within five minutes.”

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RJ's OT Abigail with another one of her clients. Picture: Supplied

"He's able to communicate better"

Seeing her eldest son peacefully asleep in the middle of the day brought instant joy to Salena’s heart after years of watching him struggle to have any more than four hours of interrupted shuteye a night due to being unable to self regulate.

“When he woke up after Kora’s session, he was the happiest kid that I’d ever seen him be,” the mum-of-two smiles.

“He was so calm. Then he went to bed without any troubles when it was usually a fight. He’s slept a solid seven hours a night since.”

It’s just not RJ’s sleep that’s dramatically changed.

“He’s able to communicate better, his handwriting has improved and he’s more engaged in the classroom,” Salena says.

“He was able to tie his shoelaces for the first time a few months ago. That was a huge goal for him.”

RELATED: Parents waiting as long as two years for Autism and ADHD diagnosis

Salena said her son's behaviour had completely changed for the better since he started his therapy with Kora. Picture: Supplied

"He's a happier kid"

Salena says Kora’s therapy has also made a huge difference to RJ’s “epic meltdowns”, separation anxiety and school refusal.

“He’s a happier kid and is able to tell someone he’s happy, which is a big change.”

In the sessions - the $192 cost of which is completely covered by RJ’s NDIS plan - the little boy spends most of the time in his happy place, on the floor with the gentle dog.

“They’ll play games together and RJ helps Kora learn her tricks,” Salena explains.

“He responded really well with touch with Kora. He can also tell when Kora’s upset and responds to it straight away, where he doesn’t do that with others.”

The treatment has been so successful that Salena now plans to start her six-year-old son, Emmett - who also has ASD and ADHD - on regular appointments.

“It’s made such a big difference to our lives,” she says.

“We plan to continue it for as long as we can.”

Kora’s occupational therapy sessions with her owner, Abigail, are available at Medical on Robina on the Gold Coast.

Originally published as 'I saw something was wrong at six months - but we couldn't get a diagnosis for another six years'