Animal-assisted Activities for Students With Disabilities
By Cho, Jeong-il | |
Proquest LLC |
Obtaining Stakeholders' Approval and Planning Strategies for Teachers
Animal-human interactions have been found to have positive influences on children across the world. In particular, research supports the benefits of animal-assisted activities in addressing students' social and behavioral problems within the classroom environment. The general information about animal-assisted activities provided in this article can help teachers identify key steps in effectively using such activities to teach socially important behaviors to children with learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, and autism. The author explains that the effectiveness of animals in classrooms is dependent on strong administrative, parental, and collegial support; clear and measurable goals; well-developed instructional plans; an appropriate animal choice; well-developed health and safety procedures; and systematic plans for monitoring progress in student performance.
While working in a classroom for students with disabilities, I witnessed firsthand the benefits of incorporating animals into classroom instruction. My students had a wide range of disabilities and several of them experienced severe behavior problems. A local animal-assisted activity organization took an interest in our special education program and volunteered to bring various assistance animals to our school once a month. I prepared the students for unusual visitors and they waited, with much anticipation, for the first visit of two therapy dogs. Students who were normally expressionless and displayed less than desirable social skills became positively animated. Students began to understand better ways of expressing their needs as they took turns with each other to be with "Morgan" and "Samantha" and interact with them with respect. It was obvious that students felt comfortable and safe with the therapy dogs as they knew the dogs would not make fun of their reading and behaviors.
The use of therapy animals to help students with disabilities is not a new concept. Doctors and therapists have reported on the social and emotional benefits of animals for humans (Fine, 2010; Ormerod, Edney, Foster, & Whyham, 2005; Raupp, 2002). Animalassisted activities can reduce behavior problems and anxiety, improve engagement with classroom tasks, and also increase positive peer interactions and appropriate social behaviors (Fine, 2010; Thompson & Gullone, 2003). Other benefits of having animals in the classroom for students with disabilities include the reduction of reading anxiety and improved reading fluency and comprehension (Bueche, 2003; Newlin, 2003). Such animal-assisted activities have been widely used in
Students with disabilities face a variety of challenging issues each day within their classrooms. Recent research supports the view that the use of trained and certified animals within the classroom environment can have a positive influence on these students' social and behavioral problems (Bass, Duchowny, & Llabre, 2009; Bueche, 2003; Friesen, 2010; Newlin, 2003;
Benefits of Animal-assisted Activities
A key role for animals in education is teaching students socially important behaviors (Bueche, 2003; Friesen, 2010; Jalongo et al., 2004;
Student issues of nurturance, social bias, communication issues, and lack of control can be addressed through animal-assisted programs (Fine, 2010;
An animal-assisted activity can help students, including those with LD and CD, reduce reading anxiety as they work to improve reading fluency and comprehension in the presence of animals (e.g., dog) (Black, 2009; Bueche, 2003; Jalongo et al., 2004; Newlin, 2003). Studies reported beneficial effects of an animal-assisted activity on students with autism in improving social skills, motivation, and attention (Bass et al., 2009) as well as increasing interpersonal skills and the frequency of social contacts (e.g., tactile and verbal) with other individuals (Krskova, Talarovicova, & Olexova, 2010). Table 1 provides reading for various animal-assisted programs. Numerous animal-assisted programs throughout
Six Key Approval and Planning Steps
Based on suggestions from previous literature (Friesen, 2010; Jalongo, 2005;
Step 1: Gain program approval and bring administrators and parents on board. The best way to successfully obtain approval is to build a good case as to why the program should be implemented in the classroom. Teachers need to provide administrative staffwith key information highlighting the benefits of the animal-assisted program, evidence of its effectiveness reported in other schools, and relevant literature and websites explaining the program and providing examples of the ways the program can be implemented for students with disabilities (Heimlich, 2001).
It is also important for teachers to clearly explain to the administrative staffthe clear goals and objectives that they want to achieve for the particular classroom through an animal-assisted program. Special funding or a grant may be available. Some organizations will charge no fee, and others will provide services for a large fee.
Administrative staff, parents, teachers, and animal handlers should have a clear idea of any liability issues involved in the implementation of animal-assisted activities (Ekhaml, 2008; Jalongo, 2005). Schools and teachers should take ordinary and reasonable precautions with animal-assisted activities, following policies and procedures regarding animals on school premises should any animal-related incidents (e.g., animal bite/ scratches, animal cruelty/negligence) occur. Ekhaml (2008) stresses the importance of well-developed policies and procedures regarding animals on school premises, since various instructional activities involving live animals may take place at schools routinely for instructional and learning purposes. These routine activities can include animal visits by veterinarians, zoo staff, and certified animal handlers and having residing small animals in science classes, library media centers, or regular classrooms (Ekhaml, 2008). For animal-assisted activities, liability insurance can be purchased through several animal therapy organizations (e.g.,
After gaining approval from the administration, permission from parents is necessary (see Figure 1 for a sample parent permission form). When explaining to parents the benefits of using an animal-assisted program, they can personalize the information for each family, noting the ways the program could benefit their child. It is important to honor the requests of any parents, students, and staffmembers who have concerns regarding the use of an animal-assisted activity. The best practice should be openness, honesty, and willingness to hear how others feel about using an animal-assisted activity in classrooms.
Step 2: Decide on an optimal goal: Why have animals in your classroom? Bringing a hamster into my resource room has had many benefits. The hamster, named "Blossom," has been the focus of many lessons, involving not just science, but also math, health, and social skills. I observed that students with disabilities like to have Blossom around and will listen carefully when I reference the hamster to talk about certain scenarios that involve their behavior and my expectations. For example, when teaching health issues (e.g., hygiene) along with social skills (e.g., routines and turn taking), my students and I conducted a web search on how to take care of Blossom and developed a care plan. We found that Blossom needs to be fed daily and her plastic cage needs to be cleaned at least once a week. We developed a set of care routines (e.g., providing water and food) where each student takes his or her turn regularly. We discussed the negative and positive consequences of following/not following the feeding schedule for Blossom's health and also discussed the need for hand washing after dealing with Blossom.
This story shows the importance of a clear purpose for an animal's presence in the classroom. Teachers need to conduct an assessment of student needs that will be addressed through an animal-assisted program. Friesen (2010) suggested that an animal-assisted activity can be a valuable form of social, psychological, emotional, and physical support for students in educational and therapeutic settings. Many students with disabilities, including those with LD, EBD, and autism, may fall into multiple categories of needs because their disabilities usually create difficulties in more than one area (e.g., emotional, social, behavioral, and motivational). For example, students with LD and EBD frequently experience negative peer interactions due to their behavior problems and poor prosocial skills (Cho,
When teachers analyze student behaviors (e.g., using Antecedent-Behavior- Consequence [
It is critical that target skills for students to work on are identified before contacting an organization that provides animalassisted activities. Table 3 shows an example performance assessment and progress monitoring chart for "Jim" and "Betsy." The target behavior for "Jim" is to establish selfconfidence when presenting materials to the class and interacting with his peers and "Betsy" needs to work on sharing and turntaking behaviors. Teachers also need to know students' strengths (e.g., "Betsy likes group activities") in order to nurture and use those strengths when improving on weaknesses (e.g., "Betsy practices sharing and turntaking behaviors to work better with her peers.").
Step 3: Establish a plan for student growth goals. Once teachers have identified the specific skills students need to work on, they should establish a detailed, systematic plan (e.g., frequency, physical arrangement of classroom, date/time of animal visits, assessment strategy/schedule) for the animalassisted activity, with clear, observable goals. Teachers should discuss and plan with the animal handler the appropriate activities through which students can practice target skills as a group or as individuals (Jalongo, 2005). Timing could be a potential issue in terms of scheduling a session with an animal and handler team, and allowing for enough one-on-one interaction time for each student with the animal(s). A possible solution for this issue would be to allow students to interact with the animal(s) together as a group. Another solution to time constraints is to set up the class in a "center" format, where students have different tasks and activities in different areas of the room and one area is designated for an animal-assisted activity.
During the planning, teachers should also prepare students for appropriate care of animals. Before implementing an animalassisted activity in the classroom, both students and teachers should learn about appropriate and inappropriate behaviors of dealing with an animal. A set of rules should be established, explicitly modeled by the teacher, and practiced by students on multiple occasions with multiple lessons using the appropriate animal. For children of all ages, learning how to respect animals and others is critical in developing positive social relationships. When having an animal visitor, the golden rules are that students should treat the animal the way they would like to be treated (e.g., no smacking, pinching, squeezing, ear-pulling, poking), avoid teasing the animal visitor, and refrain from offering food. With a smaller animal in a cage (e.g., hamster, rabbit), students should be warned not to stick their fingers in the cage, unless permitted. An extended explanation on health and safety concerns and proactive prevention strategies is provided in Step 5.
Step 4: Choose an animal. Animals certified for therapy are safe and friendly. Various species, including dogs, cats, horses, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, fish, dolphins, goats, and pigs, have provided positive interactions to a wide range of individuals (Bass et al., 2009; Ensign, 1994; Krskova et al., 2010;
Dogs are the most commonly used therapy animals. In order to become a licensed therapy animal, they must pass the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test (
Once a dog has successfully completed the CGC, he or she is ready to move to the next level of more specialized training to meet the Minimum Standards for a Service Dog (
Each animal offers a unique resource to humans in need (Ensign, 1994). Animal handlers will be able to suggest animals that are best suited for the specific classroom goals. Many handlers would recommend starting small. Several studies have provided evidence that the use of smaller therapeutic animals, such as rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs, may help students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) learn how to better regulate their bodies and plan out their actions (
Other issues must be considered to identify the most appropriate animals for students with disabilities. Teachers should consider the physical space needed for animals and students. For example, horses can be very beneficial for students with autism, but may not be appropriate in the classroom. Dogs are the most popular choice. However, teachers and handlers need to know that the use of dogs and other larger therapy animals can induce over-excitement among students with ADHD rather than having a calming effect (Somervill et al., 2009).
Step 5: Establish health and safety policies and procedures. Jalongo et al. (2004) report on health and safety procedures that should be considered: sanitation, safety, allergies, cultural differences, and fear of animals. Teachers need to discuss and establish these procedures with animal handlers before visits. It is also essential that teachers clearly communicate these health and safety procedures with students before each animal visit. Hand-washing before and after interaction with an animal should be emphasized to all involved individuals. Animal handlers are responsible for the general care of the animal, including feeding.
Safety of both students and animals is a top priority. Only certified, licensed, regularly evaluated dogs and handlers should be involved in the program (Jalongo, 2008; Jalongo et al., 2004). Even dogs that have been temperament tested should not be used in the classroom if they have not been certified. Through a close collaboration with an animal-assistance program, teachers should establish proper ways to best handle the animals and understand the specific safety rules that should be followed when a therapy animal is in a classroom (Friesen, 2010; Jalongo et al., 2004). Students should be well-educated about emergency procedures for a variety of incidents. For example, students should know what to do with an animal if emergency situations occur. Being aware of procedures in case of an emergency will help all involved parties, as well as animals, remain calm and safe. Animals coming into the classroom are carefully selected; the dogs, in particular, are trained and certified. However, they are still animals and need to be carefully and properly treated under close monitoring by a licensed handler.
Many people suffer from animal allergies. The animal handlers know to groom their animals to decrease dander levels before all school visits (
Cardak's study with Turkish students (2009) found that students tend to be less afraid of smaller animals, such as snakes and spiders, due to lack of knowledge about the potential dangers posed by these animals. It may not be appropriate to have some reptiles visit the school, however, due to the possibility of infection with salmonella. And even smaller furry animals may cause allergic reactions in children. An adult (a teacher or a handler) should closely supervise interactions between animals and students and provide reminders about proper hand-washing and sanitization procedures to prevent possible health hazards. Flom (2005) described various safety strategies (e.g., do not stroke the animal's face, only its back; do not tease) that students need to be taught for preventing aggressive behaviors by smaller animals. Students can wear gloves to protect themselves from possible bites.
Possible issues related to student phobias and cultural inhibitions should be carefully considered when planning and implementing animal-assisted activities in classrooms (Friesen, 2010; Jalongo et al., 2004). Teachers need to understand students' comfort levels, what experience they have had with animals, their behaviors, and their general interests. Many people fear dogs, especially big dogs. Prior to the animal visits, these fears should be recognized and discussed with the children and their parents, and a modified or an alternative activity should be in place if needed. In time, with a willing student, this fear can be gradually eased through a controlled, safe, nurturing, and calm environment that provides frequent, brief exposure to a dog. Newlin (2003) suggested that a teacher should sit closely with the student, the dog, and its handler until the student feels comfortable and monitor any changes of the student behaviors.
Some cultures see dogs as unclean or nuisances and other cultures use animals strictly for protection and may view dogs as violent. Again, teachers must understand that students can have different views and experiences when it comes to animals and should arrange for modified or alternative activities to make sure all students receive the educational services they deserve.
Step 6: Document and measure student growth. While students may consider animal- assisted programs as "fun" and "exciting," they do provide an important service and reach students with different ability levels. To monitor student progress toward goals and short-term objectives on their target skills and to validate the continuous use of the program, teachers and animal handlers need to regularly document and evaluate student growth and modify the goals and objectives accordingly to respond to student needs. Teachers and animal handlers should use multiple measures when gathering data on student behaviors and emotional status. Direct observation data (e.g., frequency, duration, latency, interval) can be collected for monitoring progress toward mastery of specific goals and objectives (Krskova et al., 2010; Spinelli, 2011). A simple checklist or rating scale can be used to effectively and efficiently report on how often the student displays a target behavior; how the student makes progress in terms of skill development (e.g., no skill, emerging, mastery); and how well the student generalizes the target skill in various settings, with various people, and under different circumstances (Spinelli, 2011). Anecdotal notes of any changes in student behaviors should be recorded to monitor student growth (e.g., Day 4-"Betsy willingly took turns with three peers to be with Ruby, a therapy dog, on 2 out of 4 occasions.").
Conclusion
The use of animals in classrooms has become a popular method for providing instructional services to students with unique social, behavioral, and emotional needs. The mere presence of animals can enhance learning environments. The use of trained and certified animals within the classroom setting has the power to motivate students with disabilities to learn socially important behaviors in a positive and risk-free environment. The effective implementation of an animal-assisted activity for students with disabilities largely depends upon strong administrative, parental, and collegial support; clear and measurable goals; well-developed instructional plans; an appropriate animal choice; welldeveloped health and safety procedures; and systematic plans for progress monitoring of student performance.
Recommended Reading
Arnold, J. (2010). Through a dog's eyes.
Black, S. (2009). Sit, stay and read.
Bueche, S. (2003). Going to the dogs: Therapy dogs promote reading. Reading Today, 20(4), 46.
Ekhaml, L. (2008). Animals in schools-Policies and procedures. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 24(9), 17-19.
Friesen, L. (2010). Exploring animal-assisted programs with children in school and therapeutic contexts.
Jalongo, M. R. (2005). What are all these dogs doing at school? Using therapy dogs to promote children's reading practice. Childhood Education, 81(3), 152-158.
Newlin, B. R. (2003). Paws for Reading: An innovative program uses dogs to help kids read better.
References
Bass, M. B., Duchowny,
Black, S. (2009). Sit, stay and read.
Bueche, S. (2003). Going to the dogs: Therapy dogs promote reading. Reading Today, 20(4), 46.
Cardak, O. (2009). Students' ideas about dangerous animals.
Cho, J.,
Ekhaml, L. (2008). Animals in schools-Policies and procedures. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 24(9), 17-19.
Ensign, A. (1994). The therapeutic value of animals.
Fine, A. (Ed.). (2010). Handbook of animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice (3rd ed.).
Flom, B. L. (2005). Counseling with pocket pets: Using small animals in elementary counseling programs. Professional School Counseling, 8(5), 469-471.
Friesen, L. (2010). Exploring animal-assisted programs with children in school and therapeutic contexts.
Heimlich, K. (2001). Animal-assisted therapy and the severely disabled child: A quantitative study.
Jalongo, M. R. (2005). What are all these dogs doing at school? Using therapy dogs to promote children's reading practice. Childhood Education, 81(3), 152-158.
Jalongo, M. R. (2008). Beyond a pets theme: Teaching young children to interact safely with dogs.
Jalongo, M. R., Astorino, T., & Bomboy, N. (2004). Canine visitors: The influence of therapy dogs on young children's learning and well-being in classrooms and hospitals.
Kaukiainen, A., Salmivalli, C., Lagerspetz, K., Tamminen, M., Vaufas, M., Maki, H., & Poskiparta, E. (2002). Learning difficulties, social intelligence, and self-concept: Connections to bully-victim problems.
Kogan, L. R.,
Krskova, L., Talarovicova, A., & Olexova, L. (2010).
Mallon, G. P. (1992). Utilization of animals as therapeutic adjuncts with children and youth: A review of the literature.
Nabuzoka, D., &
Newlin, B. R. (2003). Paws for reading: An innovative program uses dogs to help kids read better.
Ormerod, E. J., Edney, A. T. B.,
Poulin, F., & Boivin, M. (1999). Proactive and reactive aggression and boys' friendship quality in mainstream classrooms.
Raupp, D. C. (2002). The "furry ceiling": Clinical psychology and human-animal studies. Society and Animals, 10(4), 353-358. doi:10.1163/156853002320936809
Somervill, J., Swanson, A., Robertson, R., Arnett, M., & MacLin, O. (2009). Handling a dog by children with attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Calming or exciting?
Spinelli, C. G. (2011). Classroom assessment for students in special and general education (3rd ed.).
Thompson, K. L., & Gullone, E. (2003). Promotion of empathy and prosocial behaviour in children through humane education. Australian Psychologist, 38(3), 175-182.
by
Copyright: | (c) 2014 Taylor & Francis Ltd. |
Wordcount: | 5082 |
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News