Tosha Tharp-Giannoccaro was having difficulty getting her autistic son Caleb to do his occupational therapy. A struggle many parents of autistic kids can relate to.
That was until their French Bulldog, Zoe, decided to join in on the exercise routine at home.
“When my son was diagnosed with autism, I found that when my French Bulldog Zoe was involved in his at home exercise routine he was more compliant,” Tharp-Giannoccaro told iHeartDogs.com. “So I began to incorporate her more and more. Soon he stopped focusing on himself and what he couldn’t do, and focused on Zoe and interacting with her.”
She found her son did better when he had something else to focus on (Zoe) rather than his own struggles:
“When the dogs are used in the therapy session the children have outward focus not an inward focus. So just like my son, they are not focusing on what they can’t do, but instead the activity they want to do with the dog. Also the dog provides nonverbal interaction with the child. Sometimes children with Autism can feel very overwhelmed with auditory sounds and the dog provides that break from sound.”
That was when she decided to help other children.
“I started training [Zoe] and she passed her Therapy Dog test through Pet Partners,” she said. “But I wasn’t happy with just that, I wanted to help more children. I heard the struggles of other parents and therapists and I KNEW the dogs could help. That’s when I started developing Pawsitive Friendships.”
Pawsitive Friendships, a 501c3 non-profit that “provides pet therapy dogs and other animals to children with special needs, allowing them the opportunity to build animal-human friendships, while simultaneously working on individual therapy goals.”
How it Works
Owners with pets (not just dogs! But cats, birds, potbellied pigs and even miniature horses participate in the organization) who are registered with therapy groups can sign up to become volunteers with Pawsitive Friendships. If someone is interested in becoming a volunteer but are not currently certified, Tharp-Giannoccaro can refer them to a trusted trainer.
What does it take to be a therapy dog for this special group? It’s a bit different than other therapy visits:
“The one skill that I have noticed each of our dogs have is a love for kids and socializing. A lot of the dogs/teams that volunteer with us also volunteer at the local hospitals or nursing homes. So this is VERY different because the dogs get to play with the kid, not just petted.”
Watch the below video from Fox News that shows the program in action:
Pawsitive Friendships is currently looking for more therapy teams, so if you live in the Phoenix, Arizona area and are interested in volunteering, go to their website for more information. You can also follow them on Facebook.
