The Laradon School students are PAWsitively ecstatic about a new program that has been introduced to the curriculum! Recently, Laradon has begun partnering with Denver Pet Partners to hold pet therapy sessions.
Last week, Laradon students had a session with Joey the dog, who was an absolute crowd-pleaser. Joey is also a fan favorite with Laradon’s Adult Program Participants, who he has been working with for several months now. Not only is it super fun to hang out with a cute pup, but it also has several incredible benefits for Laradon’s students.
According to Laradon teacher Danielle, interacting with a therapy-certified pet can help kids and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities grow their social-emotional skills. The students can speak to the dog, ask the pet’s handler questions, and practice observing important boundaries. The students displayed their curiosity and wanted to know all about Joey!
Danielle says pet therapy sessions provide a low-stress environment for students to interact with each other. Making new friends can be exciting, but it can also sometimes be difficult or anxiety-inducing. A calm and cute therapy pet can help students connect with one another over a shared moment of joy and ease.And, with Joey on our side there’s no telling how much joy our students will have in the future!
To learn more about Denver Pet Partners, visit https://denverpetpartners.org/
Written by Elianna Patridge, Laradon’s Communications And Marketing Intern
