“A moment that REALLY inspired me, was an "ah-ha" moment involving my certified therapy dog, Bailey. A student who had difficulty with self-regulation, entered the room, and was elevated in her level of sensory alertness, moving quickly, using a high-pitched voice and almost screaming upon seeing the dog.

As the student became more elevated, Bailey also became more elevated and playful. I was able to get the student to recognize Bailey's "Zone of self-regulation" as being in the "yellow" or excited zone. I related this to the student's zone being in Yellow, and that if she wanted Bailey to be calm, then SHE had to find a way to calm herself. This helped her "in the moment", to take some deep breaths and calm her body. As soon as she did this, then Bailey was also observed to be calmer.

The student could have immediate feedback on how her ability to calm affected Bailey, so she knew she calmed adequately. Using my therapy dog, Bailey (and Levi before her) has had such an impact on getting kids to work on motor skills, self-regulation skills.”

Wendy, COTA
Blair Therapies