This story caught my attention today: http://www.ky3.com/news/local/Therapy-dog-arrives-at-Conway-MO-school-district-100964844.html Basically, one of the small districts is getting a "therapy dog." Here's a tid bit of the article. I'm just ecstatic that a school is willing to try something so simple to help their students. It's not often that we catch any PS doing something right, so I thought I'd share.
This si wonderful! My brother has autism, but unfortunatly having a dog really aggravated him unless the dog could keep it's distance and not bark. lol We had a black lab who NEVER barked, and would sit within 5 feet of my brother when he was outside playing when we were young. The only bark he would make would be if a stranger came on the property, and it was only one bark. Lab's are great dogs! I really like that the PS is doing something like this (not normally done) rather than dubbing them failures of the system and passing them on, or just noticing their dissability and brushing them aside (which I have seen done many times to my brother, and it is heartbreaking and angering). Something as simple as getting an animal, which has been proven to lower stress levels, is a great idea! Thanks for posting!
There was a principal in town back when I was teaching that brought a therapy dog with her. All the kids knew the dog. When a kid got in trouble, they would pet the dog while they talked with the principal, and it helped them "work it out". The local newspaper did an article on it, front page of the local sections. So guess what!!! The BOE (who are so disengaged they had NO IDEA that this was happening) found out about it. OH, NO!!! What if this dog would actually BITE someone? Or what if a kid was ALLERGIC to dogs??? Think of the INSURANCE ISSUES!!! WHATEVER could this lady ever be THINKING??? So she was reprimanded for doing something that actually made a difference in chidren's lives, and was told to NEVER bring the dog again! Sigh.....
