Simply getting through a day at school can be demanding for 8-year-old Sam Thompson — He has autism and a heart condition. His typical day looks a little different than his classmates’, with visits to a variety of therapists and an early departure from school each afternoon.
“A full day of school is pretty hard for Sam,” said Daniel Thompson, Sam’s father. “He doesn’t have the mental or physical stamina to make that happen. Having an abbreviated day is good for everybody — for Sam and the teachers.”
So, when special education teacher Denise Gillette learned about a program that pairs people with therapeutic companion animals, she immediately thought of Sam. The nonprofit Human-Animal Bond in Colorado, coordinated through Colorado State University, was created to “improve the quality of life for people of all ages through the therapeutic use of companion animals,” according to its website. The organization provides animal-assisted therapy services in partnership with public schools, hospitals, youth correctional facilities, the Veterans Administration and other programs and organizations throughout the Front Range.
Gillette wanted to see if bringing therapy dogs to Van Arsdale Elementary School, where she teaches, could benefit Sam.
Enter Mojo, the Portuguese water dog.
Mojo and Sam began spending about 20 minutes together once a week more than a year ago. Sam read to the dog, wrote stories about him and helped Mojo perform tricks.
“We worked on social skills and fine motor skills and sequencing — following directions with steps and orders — and just building confidence,” Gillette said of Sam’s initial months with Mojo.
Gillette considered the pairing a trial run, but soon enough she had four other students visiting with the dog.
She worked with other special education staff members and the school’s principal to identify and prioritize students they believed would benefit from the program. Then, each student began their own weekly rendezvous with Mojo.
This year, 10 Van Arsdale students meet with a HABIC-trained therapy dog — Mojo now has help from a golden retriever named Buster and a red fox Labrador named Bella.
The school fundraises to pay a small and flexible fee (which directly benefits HABIC) to have the dogs visit, but the HABIC-trained dog owners give their time on a volunteer basis.
“Last year, the parents were just thrilled. It was huge,” Gillette said.
At first, she said, there were a lot of questions: What are they doing? How is this helping them?
But it wasn’t long before the results were evident.
“It really focuses on the needs of the students. It’s not just, ‘Come pet the dog.’ It kind of looks that way, but it’s really a lot more than that,” Gillette said.
Daniel Thompson said he’s seen personal growth in his son, especially because before he began working with Mojo, Sam had an intense fear of dogs.
“It kinda doesn’t sound big, but when you have a kid who is afraid of dogs, it’s a big deal. There are dogs everywhere,” Thompson said.
Sam grew to love spending time with Mojo, Thompson said, and to encourage his acceptance of all dogs, Sam is working with Bella this year.
“It sounds like an unconventional, untraditional thing, but as a parent of a kid that not only struggles with acceptance of dogs but a lot of things in life, in general, it’s such a good, new experience for him,” Thompson said.
Students were recommended for the program for various reasons, Gillette said. Some have a learning disability, others may be struggling socially or emotionally.
Preston Boeser, 7, and Ashton Huffman, 10, spent a recent afternoon at Van Arsdale hanging out with Buster and his owners, Mark and Alison Arbitrios.
“We definitely noticed, even from just the beginning of the year to now, how confident the boys are, talking to us about their week and also with Buster,” Alison said of Preston and Ashton.
The boys played games and hid treats for Buster around the classroom while chatting with Mark and Alison about their weekends and holiday plans — a tremendous difference from when they first entered the program, the Arbitrios said, explaining that in the beginning, the boys were slow to warm up to them.
“To see how they are now versus how they were, it’s rewarding just in that alone,” Mark said.
Gillette said many of the students who work with the therapy dogs struggle with social anxiety and are often shy or nervous around new people.
Most days, the students keep Buster busy with games and stories, Mark Arbitrios said, but some days the children just want to have a companion — sitting with Buster’s head on their laps, gently petting his ears.
“I can’t say enough (about this experience),” Thompson said. Our school (Van Arsdale) is just phenomenal from the principal down.”
MORE INFO:
Human-Animal Bond in Colorado (HABIC), 127 Education Building, 1586 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins; 970-491-2776, habic@colostate.edu, habic.chhs.colostate.edu