Tupper Dunlop, a Winnipeg resident in Canada, suffers from an autism spectrum condition. When he was two years old, he refused to reply to his name, establish eye contact, or speak at all. In total, he could only sleep for 3 to 6 hours, and only for 45 minutes at a time. He struggled to communicate his pain as he cried, screamed, and tossed and turned between periods of sleep.
Lego then came along, though. His mother, Nancy Dunlop, told CBS News that Tupper’s love of animals was the inspiration behind getting a service dog. “When a friend brought her dog over, Tupper played fetch and chase with the dog and was very happy and enthusiastic, jumping and laughing. This supported the idea that a pet might serve as Tupper’s support system and motivate him to interact with other people.”
Tupper is now 4 years old, more vocal, and able to perform everyday tasks like going for a walk with his family. He now sleeps soundly through the night while cuddling up to Lego in bed every night. Nancy explained to Inside Edition that Tupper benefits from feeling Lego on his body because it makes him feel stable. Additionally, physical touch increases brain chemicals like serotonin, which help Tupper feel calm and fall asleep again.
When Tupper wants to focus, he massages his feet on Lego, and when he’s feeling under the weather, Lego brings over a toy. In an interview with Inside Edition, Nancy said, “Lego is helping us to get out and do things we didn’t do as a family.” Tupper is a lot quieter, calmer, and able to sit down and concentrate now rather than yelling and running about all the time.