Numerous sources list the many benefits of pet ownership and interaction. Experts agree. Animal assisted therapy can provide comfort, help create a sense of safety, improve a child’s capacity for empathy, and even provide opportunity for children who have faced trauma to receive affection and learn healthy touch.
well-being through Animal-Assisted Therapy.” Founded in 1996 by Beth Franklin, Hand in Paw is doing just that. They have a number of programs and events available for those who could benefit from a bit of furry intervention. Here are just a few of the many.
Pawsitive Living is a 12-week program that teaches compassion and anger management. Participants are encouraged to “learn to be caregivers even if they haven’t been well cared for themselves.” It pairs teens and preteens with animal therapy teams to teach human lessons about understanding feelings, exploring abandonment issues and more. No More Bullies is a six-week program focusing on humane education, problem solving and anti-violence. Children are taught to find the courage to stand up for themselves and for others who are being bullied.
Behavioral ONE is an assessment and treatment center for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Developmental Disabilities, and Learning Disabilities
• Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluations • Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy • Speech and Language Therapy • Dyslexia and Academic Tutoring • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy • Social Skills Groups and Classes • Parent Training and Family Counseling
Comprehensive Care for the Entire Family For more information & scheduling, please contact Billy Richardson
www.behavioralONE.com | 205-703-8103
Barktoberfest is put on by Hand in Paws Junior Board and is set this year for October 5 at Cahaba Brewing Company. It features a costume contest, music and raffle prizes. Petscription for Trauma and Grief is a community response program. This program visits schools, domestic violence shelters and other sites where people are recovering from trauma. Liz Wilson, associate director of Hand in Paw, explains the work the group does with the Department of Human Resources. “We work with several agencies that serve children in DHR care – residential programs at Glenwood, Hill Crest, and Brewer-Porch Children’s Center, and the therapeutic foster care program at Gateway, which serves foster children and foster parents,” Wilson says. “It is always our goal to expand services, and so we are open to further partnering with DHR to serve more children.” By visiting the Hand in Paw web page at www.handinpaw.org you can watch short videos of the volunteers in action with their animal partners. Not only do they visit with the elderly in nursing homes and with children who are struggling to read in classrooms, they go to cancer centers and hospitals to brighten the days of both young and old. Consider what part you might play and whatever you do, recognize the value and worth of the pets in your life and the lives of others. Stephanie Rodda is a freelance writer, inspirational speaker and mom of many. She lives with her family in the Birmingham area. Stephanie blogs at StephanieRodda.wordpress.com and has written two fiction books that are available at Amazon.com.
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