OUR MISSION

The goal for Sunshine Therapy Animal on each therapy visit is to develop and strengthen positive behaviors in the children visited. We hope the children will learn courage, grit, empathy, trust, confidence, respect and self-awareness. Once a child learns to be empathetic toward the animal and understands the therapy animal has feelings and emotions, a link develops, enabling the child to be sensitive to the feelings of others. The therapy animal catalyzes the child to open up and feel attached to the animal. We hope the child will become actively engaged and thrive in the facility where they are served.

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BENEFITS OF THERAPY ANIMAL VISITS

Most children have a natural love, curiosity and bond with animals. They sense that animals depend on the family and society as they are small, honest and direct- just like children. Therapy animals have proven to improve the mental wellness of the people they visit in many ways and positively impact educational settings.

READING

Fosters reading abilities such as reading rate, accuracy, fluency and comprehension.

PRIMARY SKILLS

Enhances primary skills such as object recognition and categorization.

STRESS LEVELS

Mitigates stress levels, especially surrounding events like final exams.

COMPREHENSION

Provides a source of motivation, stimulation and focus in learning.

BOUNDARIES

Serves as a tool for learning boundaries.

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TYPES OF THERAPY VISITS

ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY TEAM

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The AAT teams provide "animal-assisted activities" to the students. Animal-assisted activities are goal-related activities that improve the quality of the child's life through the human-animal bond. Research confirms that pet therapy visits create a bond of unconditional love between a dog and a child, allowing the learning of essential life skills through continual interaction and regular visits with the dog.

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B.A.A.R.K!

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Books Animals and Reading Kids! is our reading program that lends a non-judgmental ear to a struggling reader. Sometimes, kids learning to read get stressed, not because they need reading help. When children read with a dog right away, they begin to relax and forget about feeling self-conscious or nervous. Pretty soon, things start to flow better. Before they know it, they are enjoying the experience of reading instead of dreading it.

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FRIENDLY VISITOR TEAM

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The friendly visitor teams offer a calming presence that creates a comfortable environment for the child. Although these visits are shorter with no planned activity, therapy teams witness these visits' emotional and psychological benefits. Studies show that physical contact with an animal lowers blood pressure, decreases cholesterol levels, reduces anxiety, boosts the immune system, decreases aggression and increases socialization and communication.

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Become a Therapy Team