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For one Vaughn girl with autism, man's best friend could be the best treatment.

Jacey Brooks will turn three years old in June, and it was only three months ago when Amy & Judd Brooks' daughter was diagnosed with autism.

Amy recalled, "She had a larger vocabulary and then she started losing her words."

That's just one symptom of this developmental disorder that affects social and communication skills. Now, three of the approximately half-dozen words that Jacey now speaks have to do with animals.

Jacey has shown difficulty connecting with the family but animals are a different story; she can spend hours playing with the chickens or with the family dog, but the Brooks family is looking to another four-legged friend for help.

Amy explained, "An autism service dog would give us another set of eyes."

Although such dogs are a less-common form of therapy, after a lot of research, the Brooks family turned to 4 Paws For Ability, an organization that trains service dogs for those with disabilities and disorders.

Amy explained, "That dog will kind of be the backup, the reinforcer, when mom get tired from disciplining over and over, the dog can step in and she'll have that bond with the dog and maybe she won't through as big a tantrum or meltdown."

A highly-trained and rather expensive service dog will learn everything about Jacey.

Amy said, "We'll send a big video of our family, our background, her siblings...and every aspect of our lives including the meltdown she has, so they can get a good view of what we need a dog to do."

To help attain their goal, Amy and Judd are raising awareness and funds throughout the community for Jacey's cause. Once they raise the $13,000 needed, it will be nine to twelve months before it is in their home, completing tailor-made training.

The new furry family member will not only be lending a helping paw, but will become Jacey's best friend and lasting companion.

The Brooks family has raised around $2,000 of the money needed so far.

You can learn about the Brooks family by visiting 4PawsForJacey or by visiting their Facebook page.

You can also learn more about the service dogs at the national 4PawsForAbility website.