HOOP THERE IT IS!

Here is my last blog ever!!!! Well maybe not ever, but my last Innovative Activities blog. During class, we had the privilege of learning all about therapeutic hula hooping from Ali Serber, one of our fellow TR students. She is really passionate about using hula hooping to benefit a number of different populations. She started off by giving our class a brief overview of the benefits of hula hooping in general. I was very surprised to learn about the recent study done that proves that hula hooping offers the same aerobic and calorie burning benefits as a kickboxing or bootcamp type class. We got to make our own hula hoops our of irrigation tubing and all kinds of fun duct tape. (My personal favorite was the black with red/orange flames on it!!!!!!)

Here's Chris and I Hula Hoopin' it up outside the HSC! 

"Do you know "Hula Hooping" was an ancient invention? There are historical evidences to prove hooping was one of the exercises practiced by the Greeks. In olden days, hoops were made from wood, bamboo, grasses, vines and at times from metals such as iron and copper. The Hula-hoops that are available in the market today are made from safe plastics. Hooping as a toy for children was introduced in Great Britain in the 14th century. In the early 19th century, some British soldiers happened to witness "Hula" dancing in the islands of Hawaii. The hooping and hula dancing had some similarities because dancing used the hoops. Hence, the name Hula Hooping was given to this fun activity and exercise."

^ This info came from a website that described the Health Benefits of Hula Hooping

There is a lot more info out there about hula hooping as a form of exercise than I once thought! There are many websites that offer different varieties of hula hoops including different sizes and weighted ones too to enhance the workout for different ability levels.

There is even a "Free Style Salsa" Hula Hooping workout DVD!!!!!

Check out this WEBSITE for more cool hula hooping exercise stuff!











I never thought about utilizing hula hooping as a part of a therapy program before, but after this class I definitely think that I will be utilizing it in my future career as a CTRS. It offers so many benefits to all disability populations: relaxation, exercise, and especially the mind, body & soul connection that is so important in all TR programs. Also, by making your own hoops, they can become very inexpensive to make and can add in the extra element of creativity for each population. I really enjoyed learning more about this activity, and I am definitely planning on learning more about the vast world of hooping in the near future!

Peace & Blessings :)

Loooong Activities #2!

During class in Innovative Activities the last 3 groups facilitated their long activities! We met in Wittich gym for the first group. The first group did Team Sports. We were divided up into teams and completed different activities such as hula hooping while connected in a circle, dropping toothpicks into a bottle and a blindfolded obstacle course. All of the activities were very challenging but fun! The group did an excellent job of modifying each activity to mimic everyone having some type of disability. For example, while Hula Hooping in a big circle as a group, some people were told to have their eyes closed or stand on one leg. I really liked the blindfolded obstacle course the best. It really put me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to better understand how a person with visual impairment experiences their world. These activities would be very good for a variety of different populations, young and old, to work on team building activities, gross motor skills, and enhancing cognitive abilities. Youth-At-Risk would benefit greatly from these types of teamwork and leadership activities in their therapy program. While looking up "obstacle courses," I came across a neat idea: a realistic obstacle course to use with rehabilitating patients. Orchard Ridge Care and Rehabilitation Center in Florida has a  

"therapeutic obstacle course, where patients can practice walking on surfaces they may encounter at home, including stairs, cobblestones, inclines, declines and even a wooden dock." 

I think that's such a great idea that directly addresses the goals of any type of therapy in general: to get the individual to return to their normal environment as quickly as possible! For more info you can check out the facility's webpage!

        The second group had Drama as their topic. I really enjoyed doing the activity where each group picked a random object and had to come up with an alternative use and name for the object. My group picked an artificial flower and termed it the "Food-Fan," a fan that could be attached to your body and grew berries and other food out of it so a hunter could take it with while out in the forest so he wouldn't get hungry or tired! This activity would definitely be a hit with the younger populations, and would be a good activity to use with kids with any disability that have trouble expressing themselves and their ideas in a group setting, and to work on speech presentation in front of others.


Drama therapy is something that is really interesting to me. According to the National Association of Drama Therapy:

      "Drama therapy is the intentional use of drama and/or theater processes to achieve therapeutic goals.

Drama therapy is active and experiential. This approach can provide the context for participants to tell their stories, set goals and solve problems, express feelings, or achieve catharsis. Through drama, the depth and breadth of inner experience can be actively explored and interpersonal relationship skills can be enhanced. Participants can expand their repertoire of dramatic roles to find that their own life roles have been strengthened.

Behavior change, skill-building, emotional and physical integration, and personal growth can be achieved through drama therapy in prevention, intervention, and treatment settings."


 I definitely see the many benefits for adolescents/youth-at-risk, or any child with a disability. They can to work through any issues they may have including anger issues or self-esteem issues in a non-traditional therapy setting.


Here's a really cool video of the "Discovery Academy" in Utah, that does Drama therapy with all types of adolescents!

The video pretty much sums up what this is all about: "Drama Therapy is an experience that leads to discussion."


The last group did Stress reduction/Relaxation techniques. We participated in a guided mediation video/ "nature walk" video that definitely de-stressed me! I could see this use of guided meditation/imagery very useful in hospitals with cancer patients, surgery wards, etc. Also, for anyone who has recently been diagnosed with a disease/disability and is learning to cope with it would definitely benefit from learning relaxation tools. We also made stress balls, which I think is a great activity to make with a variety of populations. The only adaptations I would make would be to use latex-free gloves because so many people are allergic to the latex in balloons, and make sure assistance is available to the individuals who need it while completing this project.


Click on this LINK for a great video that shows some breathing/relaxation techniques that can be used with children or adults! I like the volcano pose! :)


      Here's also a cool video on the same youtube channel that explains what exactly inclusion is.. I think it's something we as future CTRS' definitely need to understand so we can be the best therapists possible!

Loooooong Activities # 1!

Tonight was the first night of our final projects---our "Long Activities." Groups 1-3 presented tonight. Group 1's topic was art. They did a great job facilitating their project of creating a scrapbook out of an old book with many different creative and decorative elements! Group 2's topic was "Team-building/Challenge Activities." They did three different group activities that definitely challenged all of us! My group was the last group that presented on our topic of music. We did different rhythm activities, made musical instruments and also incorporated body awareness into our project!


They all were a lot of fun to participate in, and I feel like I have learned a lot about how to plan and facilitate different TR programs. After experiencing all of the projects tonight, the main question we are left with was, "SO WHAT?"
What do all of these activities tell us about how to become a better TR specialist?


One of the main things I have gained from these projects so far is seeing just how broad the field of TR is! There are many guidelines that are important to follow in TR, but there are endless ways to change up the activity to fit different populations and different groups of individuals. For any number of goals/objectives for a client, there are at least double if not infinite ways to reach those goals! I have learned that there is never just one way to do things in the wonderful world of TR!


Another important thing I picked up on from experiencing these projects is how versatile you have to be. Even if you have a certain thing planned out exactly how you want it, 99.9% of the time it is not going to go just as you wanted it to. I have learned this from working at a summer camp with kids for the past 5 years. I have learned that you need to overplan activities and plan for them to go differently than you originally decided. The main thing is to just go with it!!!! As long as the main goal/point is being reached, go where the group goes. If they want to spend more time on something or if the activity takes a completely different direction than you thought, let them do it.  If they are enjoying themselves and getting something out of it, the number one thing is to

just go with the flow!!!!! :)

AHHH...STRESS!!!!!!!!

Now that we are nearing the end of the semester, I feel that my stress is at an all time high! Between all of the projects, papers, presentations and exams, and not to mention adding 20 hours of work on top of that, I sometimes don't know how I am going to fit everything in! 
        However, I know too well how important stress management is and how crucial it is to incorporate relaxation activities into my everyday life, no matter how busy I am. In Innovative TR, we discussed a wide variety of relaxation activities to incorporate into our TR programs. 
The main objectives we discussed going over with clients are:

•           Body Awareness
•  Decreasing Stress and Anxiety
• Use as a coping skill
• Transferability into everyday life <------------- SUPER IMPORTANT!!!!!

Skills that a CTRS needs to have to facilitate stress-reduction techniques are:

• A variety of approaches
• Lead by example
• apply to various situations (ex. journaling)
• Develop your own relaxation kit
• Become confident at leading quiet activities

One of the first activities we discussed to use is:

BREATHING, the foundation for all relaxation!

Some things we talked about to make deep breathing exercises successful are to make sure to consider:

• Body posture/position
• Breathing from the diaphragm
• Start simple and progress to different imagery

Progressive RELAXATION, the next phase in stress reduction!

Progressive Relaxation's focus is to tense/relax muscles to move into a deeper state of relaxation. For example, clenching fists, then relaxing them, clenching shoulders, then relaxing them, etc. It helps to reduce tension in all parts of the body!

Some Unique Breathing Exercises that were discussed were the

Yawn/Yell Exercises and Laughter Yoga

Here is a cool video I found on Laughter Yoga featured on CNN!

We also discussed the benefits of Meditation and Guided Imagery for use in TR programs. Some of these benefits include:

• Integration of "all levels" of ability
• Fast results
• Different types/applications to leisure education/recreation participation and rehabilitation

Finally, in class we talked about what type of relaxation program would be beneficial for different specific TR populations. My group discussed how we could design a relaxation program for adults recovering from a spinal cord injury.

We decided that a guided imagery session would be extremely beneficial for them because it would help them de-stress and learn how to calm themselves down while learning to adjust to their new lives after experiencing a drastic change such as having a spinal cord injury. We decided that having calming images of the outdoors/nature and having soothing music would be good to incorporate into the sessions. The goal would be to focus on their breathing and focus on happy memories/positive goals for the future while also working to bring themselves into a relaxed and positive sense of being.

Stress reduction techniques are definitely something that I am going to be using regularly as a future CTRS!

Virtual School....????!?!

Tonight in Innovative TR we had a guest speaker come talk to us about the Wisconsin Virtual Learning Academy! I have taken a few online classes, but never really thought of the possibility of being enrolled in a full time online/virtual school for college, let alone for elementary or high school! It was so interesting to hear his background story about how he got into the field of Special Ed and about all of the experiences he has had working with different disability populations, especially with Autism. However, while he was presenting there were many pros and cons about virtual schools that were running through my mind.

First I'll start with the pros:
          1.  Less Distractions---Especially for kids with disabilities, focusing on school work can be a really hard thing when there are so many distractions in a traditional "brick & mortar" school. With a virtual school, learning in each individual's natural environment can remove many distractions and allow the environment to be controlled which allows more learning to occur!
        1. Individualized Plans--For kids that have specific education issues that need to be addressed, virtual school can be a lifesaver for those kids. For example, if a child is 3 levels below what they should be in math, but is doing accelerated spelling work, it is usually hard to help get them back up to the level they need to be in math without having extra time dedicated to that subject. The concept of virtual school makes sense for those kids who aren't consistent in all subjects with their grade level so they can provide more work on that specific subject.

One of the major cons of virtual school that I thought of was:
             1. Socialization-Although I see the valuable benefits of virtual education for kids with disabilities, I am concerned about the socialization issues that arise from not interacting with kids in a "brick and mortar" school. While I do understand that for some kids with disabilities, other kids can be a distraction that severely hinders the learning process for them, at the same  time, it concerns me that they are not able to be inclusion into a "normal" atmosphere with other kids-----one of the main principles of TR! I do understand that through virtual school, the kids do go on field trips and have opportunities for social events, but I think that it still definitely hinders their development of social skills.
         Also, the experience of interacting one-on-one and face-to-face with instructors and peers in group projects and presentations, etc are extremely important life skills to learn. Although there are "video chats" available with instructors, I feel that the direct face-to-face conversations are the only way to grow in those type of social skills.

Here's an interesting article I found about a mother blogging about considering a virtual school for her child with Aspergers Syndrome. I work with a 12 year old 6th grader who has Aspergers, so all of the challenges she discussed about the structure of a "brick and mortar" school I have seen first hand in his school. However, I do think that trying to keep him in a traditional school really is the best choice, because in the end, learning to cope with all of the many challenges a traditional school offers is of extreme benefit for a kid with Asperger's. While they may have an easier time focusing on their studies while being home-schooled/virtual schooled, the only way they can truly learn the social skills necessary to survive in life is through the daily interaction with their peers.

All in all, I think virtual schools can be very helpful and productive for many children, but I think it has to be researched and looked into in-depth before the decision is made, because it is a very important decision that will affect the child for the rest of their life.

PUPPETS!!!!!!!!!

So I know my Innovative TR class is supposed to introduce us to many new and exciting things in the world of TR, but I had no idea I would ever learn how to do puppetry!!! In our latest class, we learned about the Kids on the Block puppet program, which was founded in 1977. I remember having some of the puppets coming into my elementary school talking about different types of disabilities and social issues and thought they were very cool! In class, Dr. Navar brought in a few of the KOB puppets that our TR department actually owns. I was shocked to learn that each puppet costs about $1,000 dollars to make!!!
We got to play with the puppets and watch a video on how to actually use them and make them "come alive" to the audience. The video described the "7 skills of Puppetry" including articulation and gestures. We got to attempt our skills with the puppets... but I definitely don't think I succeeded. It is super hard to match the puppets mouth with your words and get their bodies to move properly! It was a lot of hard work. I have much respect for the puppeteers---they have a lot of skills!

"The Kids on the Block, created in 1977, features life size puppets who, through the magic of live puppet theatre, teach children and adults about disabilities, medical and educational differences, and social concerns. Through the hard work and dedication of many community based groups, The Kids on the Block puppets are able to touch the lives of people all over the world."

After we watched the video and attempted at puppetry, we discussed how puppets in general could be used in various TR settings. My group discussed that a major target population for puppets like the KOB puppets would be in a Child Life area. We concluded that pairing the puppets with medical play to help explain procedures and get children to talk about their feelings about their specific illness/diagnosis would be extremely beneficial. In general, we discussed that while using the KOB puppets or any more human like puppets can be successful with the adolescent/older adult population when discussing feelings, they may not be the number one therapeutic tool of choice as many people in that age group may not respond to the life-like doll puppets in the same way children will. However, as a class we talked about how other types of puppets can be successful for all populations. Examples we came up with included: shadow puppets, sock puppets, paper bag puppets, finger puppets, and paper doll puppets. Creating their own puppets offers clients the opportunity to explore their own creativity to express themselves in the way that they want to. The possibilities are endless-- all ages can make the puppets their own and can put on their own skits for whatever TR program is being administered. Other possible successful populations puppets can be used for are with different types of addiction and eating disorders. I really like the idea of the creativity of having clients make their own individualized puppets that can help them work through their issues with their disabilities and help make them more self-sufficient people in their everyday lives!

Got Milkbone?

Homemade natural dog treats have definitely become a booming business in the past few years. I stumbled upon this article in the East Valley Tribune in Mesa, Arizona that described the business of "Gryphen's Dog Treats" that is integrated into the treatment program at Gryphen Specialty Products Services in Tempe, AZ. The center is a treatment facility for people with developmental disabilities that offers strategies for its clients to use their many skills and talents to their benefit. They have many day programs and vocational programs that help clients eventually become integrated not only into the workplace, but into the community. Check out their website if you'd like more information about their services.

The article described how their "Gryphen's Dog Treats" program plays a vital role in client's treatments. They kneed, cut and roll the dough and bake the "Got Milkbone" treats and help package them as well. The article explains many of the benefits the workers get from the experience:

"It helps a lot,” Gryphen therapist Peter Graf said. “The skills they learn in doing this business — how they make the treats, weigh them out, package and sell them — those are part of life skills that they need. …"

“They see their efforts rewarded,” Jones said. [clinic site manager] “They can go out and pay for their movie or dinner if they want. They can be regular working people.”

“Day-to-day, you don’t see a lot of changes, because nobody changes that much in a day,” Jones said. “But when you look back a month or three months ago, you see somebody who would have slammed the wall in frustration take a moment to deal with his feelings in a more productive way. Someone who didn’t (want) anything to do with now takes an active role on the team, making the dog treats.”

I think this is a really unique and innovative program to help people with disabilities realize their potential to be integral members of society and to channel their energy into something good for themselves and their community! 

Read the entire article here!

Ice Ice Baby!

So now that spring is just around the corner, I started thinking about all of the fun winter activities you can do in La Crosse! I love ice skating, even though I'm not very good at it. Since I don't know much about it, I decided to look up more about

adaptive ice skating.

It seems pretty obvious to me that almost anyone with a disability can ice skate with a little help, but there is some innovative adaptive equipment people can use if they need a little more support. Here is a description of adaptive equipment according to United Cerebral Palsy.

 Skates and Walkers 

Prosthetic skates are available for individuals with leg amputations. For more information, contact Chedoke Rehab Services.

Three skate models are available through SABAH. Model 1 is designed for people with Down's Syndrome or surgically corrected clubbed feet and is cut wider than a standard skate. Model 2 is designed for skaters who wear ankle foot orthoses (AFOs), supra-malleolar orthoses (SMOs) or reciprocating gait orthoses (RGOs). These include people with cerebral palsy or spina bifida. Model 3 is designed for all skaters with disabilities who would benefit from a skate with the greater comfort provided by softer leather and increased ankle padding.

Three models of walkers are available through SABAH. Model 1 can be used by beginning skaters as well as skaters with disabilities. Model 2 is designed for skaters with disabilities who are able to walk or bear weight for limited amounts of time. Examples include skaters with cerebral palsy or spina bifida. Model 3 is designed for skaters with disabilities who have limited or no ability to bear weight.

As you can see, through the use of prosthetic skates and the different skate models, anyone can get out on the ice!

SABH (Skating Athletes Bold at Heart), an organization that is dedicated to helping all kinds of people with disabilities experience the benefits of therapeutic ice skating. According to their website, these are the kinds of disabilities they most frequently work with on the ice.

• Cerebral Palsy
• Mental Retardation
• Developmental Delays
• Down Syndrome
• Hearing Impairments
• Scoliosis
• Speech Impairments
• Neurological Impairments
• Vision Impairments
• Congenital Heart Defects
• Spina Bifida
• Autism
• Multiple Disabilities
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Hemophilia
• Emotional/Behavior Disabilities
• Learning Disabilities
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Epilepsy/Seizure Disorders
• Heart Transplant
• Congenital Myopathy
• Amputation
• William's Syndrome
• Cancer

In addition to recreational ice skating, people with disabilities can also compete in it as a sport. In the Special Olympics, there are two categories: figure skating and speed skating. In figure skating, there are many events offered for both men and women, singles and pairs. There can be a team of a person with a mental retardation paired with a person without mental retardation.

Look at this guy from Special Olympics New Zealand doing a program to the Pirates of the Carribean! 

In speed skating, there is a range of different competitions, from individual to team. They also offer a competition for individuals with lower ability levels to participate in called the 25-meter-straight-away-sprint.

For more info about Ice Skating in the Special Olympics, check out their website!

D A N C E!!!!!!!!!!

I have been a dancer since the age of three. It is one of my passions that has been prevalent throughout my life and I know I would be lost without being able to participate in dance in some form. While most people think you have to be able to walk to dance, 
Wheelchair Dance defies all of those previous misconceptions. I think what is so innovative about it besides the obvious is that you can be a wheelchair dancer whether you are a paraplegic or quadriplegic! If you have the determination and willingness to dance, you can! Dance is such a beautiful art form, and I love how extensive wheelchair dance has become throughout the world! The Wheelchair Dancesport USA Association has a lot of good information on the sport of Wheelchair Dance.

Q: So where did Wheelchair Dance begin?

A: In Sweeden in 1968! Els-Britt Larsson was one of the pioneers of the sport.

The mission statement of the Wheelchair Dancesport USA Association as stated on their website is:

"A

s a non profit association, is to promote, initiate and stimulate the growth and development of Wheelchair Dancesport in the United States 

of America. 

This is accomplished by providing wheelchair dance programs, organizing classes, performances, training camps and seminars for those serving children and adults with disabilities, as well as supporting recreational and competitive wheelchair dancers and able-bodied dancers. This emphasizes to the public the healthful aspects of wheelchair ballroom dancing; its physical, mental and social benefits." 

There are many different forms of Wheelchair Dance---whatever forms "able-bodied" dancers are able to do, wheelchair dancers can do as well!

The types of competitive dances include 

 the waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot, and quickstep.

Latin-American dances include the samba, cha-cha-cha, rumba, paso doble, and jive.

The Forms of Wheelchair dance are divided up into these categories:Combi dance - a wheelchair user dances with an able-bodied partner.
Duo dance - two wheelchair-users dance together.
Group dance - wheelchair users only or together with able-bodied partners.
Single dance - a wheelchair user dances alone.

Here is a super cool video of a International Wheelchair Dance Championship! They are so awesome!

There is even a special program that they created where kids in wheelchairs can do Ballroom dancing! Here is the flyer on their website that explains some goals that kids learn during the dancing process:

I would love to see a Wheelchair dance competition in person! I think this would be a good way to incorporate arts into the field of TR. This would definitely be an avenue that I would look into doing some volunteer work/future job work with!

Just Keep Swimming, Swimming Swimming....

Okay, so I have Finding Nemo on my mind...
   But it got me thinking to the field of Adaptive Aquatics!

I took the Adaptive Aquatics course offered at UWL for fall semester. I learned a lot about the various techniques used in Adaptive Aquatics, like Watsu, Bad Ragaz, and the Halliwick Method. I think they are all very innovative in their techniques, and offer benefits for many different populations! I really liked learning about the Watsu technique, so I am going to explain a little bit about what Watsu is and how it can be utilized in a TR setting!

 So this nice looking man below is Harold Dull, the founder of Watsu aquatic therapy! 

Harold Dull, creator of Watsu!    

Watsu means "Water Shiatsu" and translates the stretching principles of Zen Shiatsu (done on land) in water! According to the Watsu website:                                                      "Stretching strengthens muscle and increases flexibility. Warm water, which many associate with the body's deepest states of waking relaxation, is the ideal medium. The support of water takes weight off the vertebrae and allows the spine to be moved in ways impossible on land. Gentle, gradual twists and pulls relieve the pressure a rigid spine places on nerves and helps undo any dysfunctioning this pressure can cause to the organs serviced by those nerves. The Watsu receiver experiences greater flexibility and freedom. During Watsu a range of emotions can come up and be released into the process of continuous flow. This reprograms receivers to face life out of the water with greater equanimity and flexibility."

Some of the populations that have been reported to experiencing benefits from Watsu include:

traumatic brain injury

spinal cord injury

strokes

Parkinson’s Disease

arthritis

cerebral palsy

chronic pain

fibromyalgia

ankylosing spondylitis

post mastectomy

post thoracic surgery

post traumatic stress disorder.

What I think is so innovative about Watsu is that it benefits almost every disability population. Of course, there are some contraindications for Watsu which include 

• Fever over 100 degrees
• Uncontrolled epilepsy
• Cardiac failure
• Significant open wounds
• Respiratory disease of vital capacity less than 1500cm²
• Severe urinary tract infection
• Blood infection
• Tracheostomy
• Bowel incontinence
• Menstruation without internal protection
• Infectious disease

As a CTRS, I think becoming certified in all types of Aquatic Therapy would be extremely beneficial. It is something that can be implemented as part of the therapy program for many different clients of all populations and ages!

While there are many different stages and sequences to a Watsu therapy program, here is a video showing an example of a basic Watsu sequence: 

There are a number of Watsu classes and conferences offered around the world every month. Check out the link for more information on how to get certified in Watsu Aquatic Therapy.

Woof Woof!

I have known about Animal Assisted Therapy for awhile, and have seen it in action while shadowing an Occupational Therapist at a hospital. Being an animal lover, I know how therapeutic animals and how helpful they can be in the healing process! 
         In addition to using animals for therapy in hospitals, they can also be utilized in homes with people with disabilities. I knew about assistance dogs for people who are blind, but I came across a  cool organization that raises and trains "Assistance Dogs"--called Paws With A Cause that had an webpage on the different types of service dogs they can train. I already knew about service dogs for people who have vision and hearing impairments, but I was very interested to learn that they can now train dogs to assist the client while they are having a seizure and to help children with Autism.


Here's the description of what exactly a "Seizure Response Dog" does from the "Paws With a Cause" website:


          "A dog can be trained to (among other things) push life-alert buttons, help and/or comfort a person during a seizure and get help or retrieve the phone for the client. Although we do not profess to train dogs to detect seizures, several of our Seizure Dogs have, after several years with a client, developed the ability to alert their owner of an oncoming seizure. Seizure Response Dog training takes approximately 6 - 9 months at the PAWS National Headquarters and Training Center. PAWS trains Seizure Response Dogs for individuals 14 years of age and older."


(^A dog that can learn to predict someone's seizure?! How crazy cool is that?!?! I think that is a pretty innovative tool that a CTRS can use to complement therapy/use during therapy sessions. Having a dog like this would offer the person with epilepsy increased comfort and independence to participate in different leisure activities that they may not have been able to before because of their fear of having a seizure when they are alone.)

Now, here is a little more information about how children with Autism would receive benefits by having an Assistance Dog in their home:

"In June of 2009, PAWS began a two-year pilot program for families living with Autism. The Service Dogs for Children with Autism program at PAWS places highly-skilled Service Dogs with children with Autism. The program's goals include having the dog help with social interactions and relationships; help with verbal and nonverbal communications; help increase a child's interest in activities or play; and help decrease overall stress within the family and home life.

To children with Autism, everyone, everywhere and everything is 'outside' of their world. Dogs can break into this world by always being there when they are needed by the child; dogs don't pass judgment on a child, like humans tend to do. By nature, the dog does not care that the child has Autism; they only care that they are a part of the child's life.

The Service Dog can facilitate hand/eye coordination. Socially interacting with their Service Dog allows for the children to have a friend - this often eludes children with Autism, as they typically lack the necessary social skills to participate in group activities or social outings.

The Service Dog can be vital in teaching the child life skills. The child learns to comb and brush the hair on the dog and they, in turn, learn to do it for themselves. The same things can be done with brushing their teeth, bathing and getting dressed.

Children who have been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum disorder can qualify for the PAWS Service Dogs for Children with Autism program under the following criteria:

• 4 - 12 years of age (applications accepted for 4 - 10 year olds)
• in an ongoing education program
• in a physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy or recreational therapy program
• have excellent family support "

This is also extremely cool.... having an assistance dog can help a child with Autism learn hand/eye coordination and life skills?! They are such important skills to learn, and those are the skills that TR Specialists have as goals for children with Autism to work towards. If having a dog like one from "Paws With a Cause" can help with the learning of these skills, I think this would be a very useful and innovative tool to use as a CTRS for this population. As stated in the description, the organization started a pilot program in 2009 for children with Autism. It appears that the program has had a lot of success since it started, and I think that as it increases in popularity, these type of therapy dogs will be seen more in therapy settings such as in Recreational Therapy!

 I am excited to see the progress of these types of animal-assisted therapy and hope that they can help increase the results of a therapy plan implemented by CTRS's in the near future! :)