Cover of Paws for Progress: Integrating Animal-Assisted Interventions Into Your Speech-Language Pathology Practice about animal-assisted speech therapy with speech therapy dogs.

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Paws for Progress: Integrating Animal-Assisted Interventions Into Your Speech-Language Pathology Practice

Speech therapy client shows speech therapy dog how to read word roots in animal-assisted speech therapy (dog AAI).

Helping SLPs safely & effectively partner with a speech therapy dog to reach client goals.

Speech therapy dog receives hug from client at animal-assisted speech therapy (dog AAI).

May your days be filled with puppy wiggles and children’s giggles.

Visit the Blog to Learn More About Animal-Assisted Speech Therapy!

Speech therapy dog listens to child practice articulation in animal-assisted speech therapy (dog AAI).

Ever wondered how you can bring the joy of animal-assisted therapy to your workplace?

I’ve been partnering with speech therapy dogs since 2019 to add animal-assisted interventions to:

speech and language therapy
oral-motor therapy
reading therapy

Child lies with speech therapy dog while in engaging in animal-assisted speech therapy (dog AAI).

I’d love to share the joys and challenges of my learning journey so that you can safely, effectively, and enjoyably incorporate the special power of speech therapy dogs to:

reach kids who are difficult to engage
motivate kids for faster progress
develop personalized activities to address a range of communication goals

Animal-Assisted Speech Therapy

Benefits for kids and families

A speech therapy dog can be incorporated to:

calm and engage children who are hyperactive and/or avoidant
stimulate children with low levels of responsiveness
motivate children for additional practice
ease transitions between activities as well as into and out of therapy sessions
reduce stress in caregivers and siblings
practice difficult skills without fear of judgment
provide meaningful contexts for practicing a new skill
provide memorable learning experiences for greater carryover

Benefits for speech therapists

Clinicians can benefit from partnering with a speech therapy dog by:

attracting and maintaining clients by creating a value-add to your practice’s services
facilitating calmer, more joyful therapy sessions
increasing mindfulness and movement breaks with a best friend throughout the work day
having a greater variety of activities to reduce burn-out
potentially increasing client attendance

More about animal-assisted speech therapy

5 myths about speech therapy dogs

"Therapy dogs have been so imperative to my son’s therapy; it’s built in him an excitement to use his words."

mother of a preschooler with Childhood Apraxia of Speech and language delay
"The dogs really make me feel calm and relaxed even when I can’t ask for it."

12 year old boy with Childhood Apraxia of Speech
"When I get through the door they come and snuggle with me. That helps me become relaxed before I start my speech session."

9 year old girl with Dyslexia and phonological impairment
"As a parent I couldn’t help but notice [my child's] goals and targets were met quicker than ever before with assistance from the dogs."

mother of a middle-school speech therapy client

Meet Your Speech Therapist

Speech therapist Sharlet Lee Jensen uses a therapy dog and animal-assisted interventions for speech therapy (dog AAI) and reading therapy.

Sharlet Lee Jensen, M.S., CCC-SLP, C-AAIS

Speech-Language Pathologist & Animal-Assisted Interventionist

Author, Paws for Progress: Integrating Animal-Assisted Interventions into Your Speech-Language Pathology Practice (AHSA Press, fall ‘24)

My Story:

Around 5 years ago, I found myself feeling stuck trying to find a way to connect with an extremely challenging child. This child also made it very clear how much he hated coming to speech and, sometimes, how much he hated me.

As I worked out how to build a connection with him, I decided to draw on our shared love of animals, bringing my dog, Delta Dawn, to a special session to see if we’d at least be able to build a little rapport.

It. Was. Magic...