Canine Assisted Activities Within Special Education

Running head: CANINE-ASSISTED ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION The ‘New’ â€Å"Man’s best friend†: The positive influences a Canine-Assisted Activities can have on special education students in the classroom Ally Kowalski Crown College The ‘New’ â€Å"Man’s best friend†: The positive influences a Canine-Assisted Activities can have on special education students in the classroom You’ve heard the saying countless times, â€Å"Man’s best friend.† Although what does it mean? In today’s growing need for therapeutic answers, it has become an answer to countless disabled children’s cry for help. â€Å"Fido† is no longer just your typical house pet. News reporters show countless, heart-touching stories about dogs performing amazing acts as†¦show more content†¦Countless studies and findings have found that throughout many cities and states, there is some increase since 2000 on the dollars spent on special education classrooms throughout the country. This financial strain has kept many schools struggling to keep the classroom supplied with proper teachers, paraprofessionals and support for the multiple metal disabilities throughout the classrooms. With the increase of diagnoses of Autism, Development Cognitive Disabilities, and Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, many have been on the search for new therapies to hel p students in the classroom and at home. One that is growing is Animal-Assisted therapy and activity. This can include Therapeutic horseback riding, swimming with dolphins, and Canine-Assisted Therapy. Most prominent among the animal-assisted therapies is with Canines. This has become a simple method for families because a canine can travel with a child, whether it is to school, home, or any other public place. As a multiple dog owner, I have experienced first-hand the role a dog can play in one’s life. During my sophomore year of high school, we had to do a project for some school credit; the project was very open in terms of choosing what to do. My friend and I decided to bring our dogs into our middle school and just simply interact and have fun with the special education classes. The project was mostly written up as our â€Å"good Samaritan† act of the day, although I knew there was more behind what we were doing.