Therapy Animals
Therapy Animals
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Using therapy animals...
Reduces cortisol levels
Supports coping
Provides comfort
Releases serotonin, endorphins, & oxytocin in the brain.
Implementation
Implementation
Overview
If a therapy animal such as a dog is available within the educational setting then it may be used as a reward, buddy, or responsibility.
The animal provides emotional support for students both proactively and responsively.
A set time in the day or week should be created for the support.
A therapy animal could provide support in classes on assessment days, walking opportunities, or a earned classroom reward.
The opportunity may be more individualized for specific students where a need to provide a set time to work with therapy animals on a weekly basis occurs. This is where the student will work directly with animals and focus on interactions or coping.
Core Components
Must be a certified trained animal that is introduced and communicated with all stakeholders as for the purpose.
A clear schedule and procedure on use of the dog
Supervision
Multiple trained handlers
List of students who should not be exposed to the therapy animal
Used for either reward, dealing with coping, or intervention.
Proactive Implementation
Proactively putting time on the therapy animals schedule to support specific students. This may look like a weekly, daily, etc time where the animal visits the student.
Responsive Implementation
Responsively using a therapy animal may look like determining the student, group, or class need a regulation strategy. The student may be sent to visit the therapy animal.
Bucket fits
Bucket fits
Connection
If the need is connection then the student may work with the therapy animal with a group or peer. The student could read to the animal or sit with a group and chat.
Skills Training
If the need is skill building then the student may practice a challenging skill with the therapy animal such as phonics or other area.
Awareness
If the need is awareness then the student may combine this strategy as an incentive option or a check out recipient on a monitoring log.
Emotional Regulation
If the need is regulation then the student may be given a break pass or scheduled time to see the therapy animal for regualtion support.
Consider Factors Prior to Start
Student factors-
Gender, race, function, topography, family dynamics, interpersonal relationships
Contextual factors -
Resource availability, classroom instruction, physical space, time, technology
Intensifying or Fading During
Duration
Frequency
Feedback
Reinforcement
Goals
REMINDER
Make a note to document when you're starting this intervention.
After 10 consecutive school days of implementation, use collected data to determine the intervention's effectiveness.
Resource
Resource
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