Animal assisted therapy in the secondary classroom

Applications use animals to trigger behaviour change in children have often been directed against the younger, primary age children. The small amount of evidence is certainly focused on applications with a younger age group.

But the animal assisted therapy (AAT) and animal assisted interventions (AAI) program for older secondary age children may be equally positive, therapeutic and advisory delivered to their younger counterparts.

Examples exist where the secondary age children have been involved in animal assisted therapy program for some time, Ian Mikado school in Tower Hamlets is a prime example of effective programmes aimed at improving the behaviour of the challenging and difficult children and young people. In Kent, has the Organization Childs best friend offers a programme of support for children in secondary school with mild and emerging emotional health and behavioral problems.

What these efforts have found is that with the help of animals, primarily dogs, can influence and make positive behavioral change for some children. While AAI and AAT not perhaps a panacea, for some children, animals constitutes an intervention that can make a real change for them when other, more traditional methods may have failed.

Many of these positive changes can be observed through the positive interactions with animals and from the contents of the respective programmes for the child's best friend children to follow a programme of basic obedience, by working with dogs and learn about their behaviour children might be supported to review and change their own.

The child's best friend software is currently the subject of a research project and is due to report its findings in 2012.

Setting

Secondary education, and the classroom is very different from those found in the primary.

• Schools themselves are much larger

• How are children

• Which is the noise they generate

They must be important considerations in the assessment of the suitability of your dog or other animal to enter a setting for high school.

High schools are incredibly large complex organizations that include up to 1500 students, and as many as 300 employees.

Given the size, organization of the visit to be a problem.

Communication can be between departments and certain employees may be surprised at your arrival for example.

Space to deliver sessions can also be problematic. rooms may not have been held, etc.

With these considerations in mind, it is very important that we try to organize everything clearly with the school prior to arrival. This is the best way for us to avoid some of the questions listed above.
.
Contents

Within the child's best friend programme content in schools based on the same principles and methods as the primary action.

As such, is at the core of the programme in both settings in the following ways:

• Basic obedience-children would be encouraged to teach your dog basic obedience skills and technology while completely controlled by the Manager.

• Tuning-children would be able to take care of the dogs and learned about the importance of this by the handler.

• Discussions-scenarios and role plays can be very useful to stimulate group discussion relating to behaviour change.

There are some obvious and important differences between carrying out work in secondary schools as opposed to primary. The key points are:

• Maturity-secondary age children have different needs and problems with primary age children, we must be prepared for the possibility of more adult language and discussion

• Capacity-with regard to the basic obedience program, some parts of secondary age children will be able to develop faster and reach a higher capacity than the primary age children. We must ensure that we have enough activities available for children are engaged, challenged and stimulated for the entire application.

• Need-often need secondary age children are very different in the primary classroom. As young people mature effect of problematic home life can present in different ways. Young people may also need more practical support as they get older. For young people's involvement is critical to successful outcomes, where possible, young people must be helped to solve their problems themselves supported.

This article aims to give a brief introduction to the work Childs best friend, a leading innovative supplier of animal assisted therapy and animal assisted activities for children and young people. Visit their homepage for more information.

Organizations are also providing training and development opportunities for interested in animal assisted therapy and animal assisted interventions.

What we can be sure of is that AAI and AAT can offer a low cost and effective intervention for children with emotional and behavioural problems.

Mark Bowles is the founder of the training effect is a leading provider of specialized training and outsourcing of services to the public and private sectors. On http://www.thetrainingeffect.co.uk/you can find further information on the range of courses we offer, find out why we use only the expert is not generic trainers and find out how we can save money while maintaining current training delivery.

Related Articles