Education Week - February 8, 2023 - 12

Schools Use Therapy Dogs to Boost
Mental Health, Academics
By Evie Blad
Sometimes students say few words
to school counselor Kelli Baker as
they walk into her office, making a
beeline for Kalani, a golden retriever/
poodle mix that has been trained to
work as a school therapy dog.
Morris, Okla., elementary school
students who are stressed, struggling
to manage big emotions, or dealing
with crises at home bury their faces
in Kalani's golden fur and slow their
breathing to match her relaxed
presence.
It's not uncommon for schools to
teach children breathing exercises
and calm-down techniques. In Morris,
having two therapy dogs causes
some students to do those things intuitively,
said Baker.
" They work through those emotions
and say, 'Hey, Ms. Baker, I'm
ready to go back to class,' " she said.
For others, the dogs provide a sense
of safety that helps them gather the
courage to ask adults for help.
" Kids will come in closed-off and
reserved, " Baker said. " I don't ask
anything. They are just on the floor
playing with the dog and they start
sharing with me. "
Facing a worsening youth mental
heath crisis, more schools have
brought therapy dogs on board to
help students cope. Some integrate
the animals into academic work,
using them in interventions for students
with disabilities or as part of
classroom engagement strategies.
" Particularly if a student loves
animals, we see some wonderful
growth, " said Jennifer VonLintel, a
school counselor at B.F. Kitchen Elementary
School in Loveland, Colo.
It's clear that the pandemic has
contributed to a growing interest in
bringing therapy dogs into schools.
Districts in states including Colorado,
Michigan, Oklahoma, and
Virginia have even used portions of
the $123 billion in K-12 relief funding
provided through the American
Rescue Plan to pay for specialized
therapy dog training, which can cost
thousands of dollars.
More than just classroom pets
Formal therapy dog work dates back
to use in hospitals in the 1970s, but it
has become more prevalent in recent
decades, especially in educational
settings. And as more academic research
emerges on the benefits of
the human-animal bond, schools are
working with canine companions in
more sophisticated ways.
School therapy dogs are not just
classroom pets, said VonLintel.
Rather, school social workers, counselors,
physical therapists, behavior
interventionists, and special education
teachers integrate them into
specific tasks with students, she said.
For example, students with developmental
disabilities may learn
improved communication skills by
directing the animals to sit or stay.
Some children practice behavioral
management by studying the signs
that a dog is feeling relaxed-like
ears that hang loosely rather than
laying flatly against the head.
" When people approach me and
say that they want to bring a dog to
school, my first question is, 'What is
your goal?' " said VonLintel, who has
worked with researchers to publish
papers on different approaches to
school therapy dogs.
Therapy dogs are trained to provide
support in a community environment.
They differ from service
dogs, which are trained to assist individuals
with specific tasks related to
physical disabilities.
When VonLintel and a golden retriever
named Copper started her
school's therapy dog program 14
years ago, she couldn't find specific
training locally, so she worked with a
Colorado trainer to adapt service dog
training to fit the needs of a school
environment.
The program grew from there. This
year, six teams of volunteer handlers
will bring dogs ranging from a chihuahua
to a Bernese mountain dog
into the Loveland district's schools.
In addition to monitoring the dogs'
interactions with students, the handlers
have learned a bit about academic
skills, like reading, so they can
ask follow-up questions to guide students'
comprehension as their dogs
sit with small groups during readaloud
sessions.
12 | EDUCATION WEEK | February 8, 2023 | www.edweek.org
" I'll say, 'I don't think Toby understood
what was going on on those
last two pages,' " VonLintel said, referring
to her current therapy dog, a
small brown cavalier King Charles
spaniel mix. " 'Can you tell him what
was happening in the story?' "
School therapy dogs need
training first
A private Facebook page VonLintel
started to share her experiences
in founding the therapy dog program
now has 9,000 members who
trade tips on training, school board
policies, insurance, and how to
incorporate animals into therapy and
instruction.
Interest in the Loveland district's
use of therapy dogs has grown to the
point that it now offers an on-site,
evening training program, where
interested staff members can bring
their own dogs to learn in a school
environment.
The dogs practice everything from
basic commands to remaining calm
and quiet in the unpredictable situation
of a classroom lockdown drill.
They must pass an evaluation before
they can work in a school, and they
must be regularly reevaluated to continue
that work in future years.
Training is also key for handlers,
who must learn to recognize when a
Students read to Kalani,
a therapy dog,
in Sheri Suiter's
kindergarten class.
Photos by Michael Noble Jr. for Education Week
http://www.edweek.org
Education Week - February 8, 2023

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