Why Would an SLP Incorporate a Therapy Dog?
Are you wondering if including a therapy dog into your SLP practice could be right for you? Have you dreamed of bringing your beloved pet to work? Do you feel unsure about how to get started in animal assisted interventions?
I had all these thoughts myself when I decided to dive into the world of speech therapy dogs in 2019. I’ve learned a lot through trial and error, finding some great resources, and developing a team of both dog experts and master clinicians to help refine my skills. I want to help other SLPs interested in building a skill set around animal assisted therapy and more specifically, partnering with a therapy dog. My dogs Delta Dawn, Johnny Utah, and Bodhi have all challenged and improved me as both a person and a speech therapist. I’d like to share our journey through this blog.
Speech therapy dog Johnny Utah kisses a child receiving animal-assisted speech therapy.
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But first…why speech therapy dogs?
The human-animal bond can be a powerful tool that has been shown to:
· Ease anxiety
· Increase motivation, and
· Encourage spontaneous communication
These traits are a perfect match for a speech therapy setting where clients may have difficulty managing their emotions, struggle to persist when learning difficult skills, and feel hesitant to connect. And this human-animal bond helps not just the clients, but can also help a speech therapist by:
· Expanding the variety of activities to address a goal, helping to reduce boredom and burn-out
· Encouraging mindfulness and relaxation breaks throughout the work day
While many different animals are used therapeutically by professionals in physical, mental, and behavioral health fields, dogs remain the most common species largely due to their trainability. While human interest stories often focus on all the amazing tricks a therapy dog can perform (Lassie can hold a book for a dyslexic child to read! Benji pushes a voice output switch to say, “I love you!”; Rover retrieves therapy materials that get dropped!), in practical application it is a therapy dog’s affiliative nature that wields the real power. Affiliative behaviors show that a therapy dog is enjoying an interaction as much as the speech therapy client, and include:
· Voluntarily approaching for pets
· Resting a head on a client or gazing at them
· Lying quietly nearby
For a clip showing affiliative behaviors, click here.
Tricks are great fun and absolutely have a place in helping speech therapy clients practice, automate, an and generalize target skills, but the real secret ingredient is the unconditional love and acceptance speech therapy dogs can provide.
Speech therapy dog Delta helps a child stay calm and focused tackling a difficult task during an animal-assisted speech therapy session.
Can any dog be a speech therapy dog?
All dogs are special, but therapy dogs have unique qualities in order to be safe and effective. A therapy dog must:
· Enjoy meeting a variety of people
· Tolerate unpredictable or impulsive behavior
· Have a high bite threshold and good acquired bite inhibition (i.e., be highly unlikely to cause injury)
· Control their own impulses to be reasonably mannerly
· Feel comfortable expressing their own unique qualities (goofy, loving, bold, curious, etc.) in a work setting
While these traits can be enhanced through quality socialization and training, some dogs are naturally more suited to therapy dog work. Getting help from a qualified dog trainer and/or certifying organization is important for everyone’s safety and comfort. (Click here for links to therapy dog training and certifying organizations.)
Can any SLP learn animal-assisted interventions?
Therapy dogs add a level of responsibility and skill that takes time to develop. If you are new to the field of speech-language pathology and still learning the tools of the trade, it might be best to focus on animal-related engagement—using animal themed games, books, toys, and discussion topics—before introducing the complications of a therapy dog. For my favorite ARE books and games with suggested uses, click here.
Partnering with a speech therapy dog means an SLP must:
· Know enough dog psychology and body language to recognize potentially unsafe or inhumane situations
· Stay vigilant to monitor all interactions
· Have enough extra time to tend to the therapy dog’s needs
· Be flexible in planning sessions in case the therapy dog needs down-time, a client is not interested in the dog on that day, or a client is unable to control his or her behavior around the dog
· Consider others’ perspectives regarding having a therapy dog present and address any concerns proactively (e.g., allergies, cultural perspectives, negative past experiences)
While adding animal-assisted speech therapy to your practice may seem daunting, there are resources available to help you get started. The Association of Animal Assisted Intervention Practitioners (AAAIP) is a relatively new organization aimed at healthcare and education providers that offers online courses, an annual convention, practice resources, and testing options.
And in September 2024, ASHA Press will release Paws for Progress: Integrating Animal-Assisted Interventions Into Your Speech-Language Pathology Practice aimed at SLP’s wishing to partner with a therapy dog. Stay tuned for updates on the book and more blogs about related speech therapy dog topics.
In the meantime, follow our story on Facebook at Speech Dogs and on Instagram @Speech_Dogs.
I’d love to hear what your questions and concerns are regarding adding a speech therapy dog into your practice for future topics. Please click on the contact link to get in touch!
May your days be filled with puppy wiggles and children’s giggles,
Sharlet
