Animal Assisted Therapy
Darren the "Pets as Therapy" dog in training
Tiny Tackers Therapy is fortunate to have Darren the ‘office dog’. Animal assisted therapy aims to improve physical, educational, social, emotional and/or cognitive functioning of children.
Fine Motor skills
(Pre-writing, handwriting, scissor skills)
- Cut up treats for Darren
- Write letters to Darren with correct letter formation, spacing and legibility
- Draw pictures for Darren using pre-writing shapes which are the building blocks for handwriting
- Show Darren completed work
Self-care
(Dressing)
- Change over Luna's bandanna (press studs)
- Take on/off Luna's harness (clip buckle)
- Take on/off Luna's collar (buckle)
Gross Motor Skills
- Aiming a ball or toy at a specific location for Luna to catch and/or retrieve
- Luna can demonstrate how to move through an obstacle course
- Develop kicking skills to pass a ball to Luna
Social Skills
- Take turns when playing a game
- Take turns rolling a ball back and forth
- Luna may assist children to open up and improve interaction, manners, ability to follow rules, and social skills
Sensory Input
- Tactile input: patting, brushing
Self-esteem
- Read to Luna
- Show Luna completed work (writing, drawing)
- Luna provides support and/or motivation when attempting a new or challenging task
Self-regulation
- Luna can model when it is appropriate to be excited and/or when we need to be calm and ready to learn
Sequencing & Language
- Give Luna a sequence of commands
- Touch Luna's ears, back etc. for body part recognition, receptive language skills, and to develop a child's ability to follow a sequence of steps/instructions