In social situations where a young person might be reluctant to participate our dog can act as a bridge, helping to facilitate good communication and interaction.

We have achieved consistent results even with children that are likely to become overwhelmed in social situations and those that have a tendency to run off. For example, before we worked with him, one young person’s anxieties and inappropriate behaviour made even a simple trip to the park impossible. With our help, this child overcame their constraints and improved so much that it meant they could take part in and enjoy such activities regularly. This was a huge achievement for that particular child.

In another case, one child refused to engage in classroom events and would sit under a table every day for hours at a time, often leading to escalation. With the introduction of our team, the child started to interact positively and even began to look forward to coming to school. Eventually, their behaviour improved even when we were not in attendance. Each week, the child was excited and proud to share their recent achievements with our team and we were very happy to be part of their success. Over time this child’s academic progress start so show significant improvement as our team meant they were engaging with and completing the learning tasks asked of them.