We utilise the services of an accredited therapy dog. The therapy dog and handler have undertaken an accredited course through the Lead the Way Institute. The presence of a friendly dog can assist students to cope with stressful situations.
Research supports Animal Assisted Therapy as a useful method of:
– stress and anxiety reduction
– increased social interactions & motivation
– improved mood
– reduced aggression.
Therapy dogs help students develop emotional regulation, self-awareness and skill development further resulting in improved social skills (pro-social behaviours and verbalisations) and empathy.
Our therapy dog will be used in alignment with the tiered response of SWPBS. The main focus will be Tier 1 whole school preventative work. We will also utilise our therapy dog for the purpose of small group intervention (Tier 2) and individual support as required (Tier 3). At the beginning of each year students will undertake lessons to provide education around the correct way to interact with the therapy dog to keep all parties safe.
