ABOUT US
The Chaotic Spyder Foundation (CSF) is a non-profit organization that helps children suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) regain their childhood. We were founded in 2016 by Liam Klein, a then 11 year old from New Jersey who was diagnosed with PTSD at the age of 9. Liam and his family tried many different treatment types and pharmacological interventions to help him stabilize, but Liam, not being able to tolerate any medications, only found real progress with his illness once he was paired with his service dog, Einstein. Appreciating the amazing friend and helper he had, Liam’s mission for CSF was simple: help child sufferers of PTSD by getting them resources, speciality therapy and, when appropriate, get their own service dogs so they can get back to what they do best: being kids!
WHAT WE DO
(the dogs)
Training service dogs for PTSD can be a difficult and expensive endeavor. The specific challenges of childhood sufferers of PTSD make for an even greater challenge.
To that end, CSF works only with puppies and younger dogs under 3 years of age. All our dogs are rescues, typically pulled from high-kill shelters, and immediately put into our foster/training program where they begin obedience, service and other forms of training. To do so we work with expert trainers throughout the country experienced with PTSD support animals for children.
When the dog is ready, it is matched to a child and together they train for that child’s individual needs. Once done, they begin their lives together.
The training is rigorous and not every dog succeeds as a service dog. In fact there is about an 80% “wash out” rate which is why we are so selective on the dogs we pull to enter our program. Even breeding programs do not have better than a 75% success rate, so the fact all Spyder dogs are rescues only enhances the ability of our trainers and our criteria. If a match is not possible for a dog due to their inability to complete our program, they are adopted out to loving forever homes.
(information)
When Liam was diagnosed with PTSD he was just turning 9 years old. His family did not know much about PTSD and had no idea that children could even suffer from it. They did as much research as they could, coming up empty most of the time. When Liam founded Chaotic Spyder, he envisioned a place where families could come to find information about childhood PTSD, get resources for the help their child would need as well as find support. PTSD is a strain on any family, but when it is a child suffering, it is even more demanding, which is why we keep up to date on the resources parents and caregivers will need not only to help their child through diagnosis but to help support them as well.
(grants)
Therapy for children with PTSD is difficult to come by. Many professionals do not actually address it. CSF has partnered with Intensive Trauma Therapy in West Virginia (https://traumatherapy.us/) which specializes in childhood PTSD. Liam attended their one-week children’s program soon after he was diagnosed and wanted to ensure that no child who qualified for their program couldn’t attend. To address this, the foundation offers grants for families to help meet the costs of attending the one-week program. This way no child must miss out on healing due to their family finances.
Training service dogs for PTSD can be a difficult and expensive endeavor. The specific challenges of childhood sufferers of PTSD make for an even greater challenge.
To that end, CSF works only with puppies and younger dogs under 3 years of age. All our dogs are rescues, typically pulled from high-kill shelters, and immediately put into our foster/training program where they begin obedience, service and other forms of training. To do so we work with expert trainers throughout the country experienced with PTSD support animals for children.
When the dog is ready, it is matched to a child and together they train for that child’s individual needs. Once done, they begin their lives together.
The training is rigorous and not every dog succeeds as a service dog. In fact there is about an 80% “wash out” rate which is why we are so selective on the dogs we pull to enter our program. Even breeding programs do not have better than a 75% success rate, so the fact all Spyder dogs are rescues only enhances the ability of our trainers and our criteria. If a match is not possible for a dog due to their inability to complete our program, they are adopted out to loving forever homes.
(information)
When Liam was diagnosed with PTSD he was just turning 9 years old. His family did not know much about PTSD and had no idea that children could even suffer from it. They did as much research as they could, coming up empty most of the time. When Liam founded Chaotic Spyder, he envisioned a place where families could come to find information about childhood PTSD, get resources for the help their child would need as well as find support. PTSD is a strain on any family, but when it is a child suffering, it is even more demanding, which is why we keep up to date on the resources parents and caregivers will need not only to help their child through diagnosis but to help support them as well.
(grants)
Therapy for children with PTSD is difficult to come by. Many professionals do not actually address it. CSF has partnered with Intensive Trauma Therapy in West Virginia (https://traumatherapy.us/) which specializes in childhood PTSD. Liam attended their one-week children’s program soon after he was diagnosed and wanted to ensure that no child who qualified for their program couldn’t attend. To address this, the foundation offers grants for families to help meet the costs of attending the one-week program. This way no child must miss out on healing due to their family finances.
HOW WE DO IT
This is a mission of love – for the children seeking help, for the dogs we train and most of all, for the lives and healing they will both enjoy together. Liam and his family have seen it work in his own life, it’s exciting to imagine all the futures other families will find this way.
But to do that, we rely on donations. This is an expensive enterprise: We pay for all the expenses for our dogs – from the adoption, to medical fees, transportation and training – about $20,000 per dog.
We have been supported with large donations and small, from family, neighbors, and people like you who have happened upon this site. We are very grateful to Oprah Winfrey, who is completely sponsoring one of our trainees. But you don’t have to be Oprah to help. We are grateful for every contribution in support of our work no matter the denomination!
Thank you in advance for your thoughtful generosity in helping a kid regain their childhood by saving a puppy’s life.
But to do that, we rely on donations. This is an expensive enterprise: We pay for all the expenses for our dogs – from the adoption, to medical fees, transportation and training – about $20,000 per dog.
We have been supported with large donations and small, from family, neighbors, and people like you who have happened upon this site. We are very grateful to Oprah Winfrey, who is completely sponsoring one of our trainees. But you don’t have to be Oprah to help. We are grateful for every contribution in support of our work no matter the denomination!
Thank you in advance for your thoughtful generosity in helping a kid regain their childhood by saving a puppy’s life.