Therapy Dog Program
A recent report highlighted children working with therapy dogs experienced increased motivation for learning, resulting in improved outcomes.
Therapy dogs are being used to support children with social and emotional learning needs, which in turn can assist with literacy development.
Research into the effects of therapy dogs in schools is showing a range of benefits including:
- increase in school attendance
- gains in confidence
- decreases in learner anxiety behaviours resulting in improved learning outcomes, such as increases in reading and writing levels
- positive changes towards learning and improved motivation, and
- enhanced relationships with peers and teachers due to experiencing trust and unconditional love from a therapy dog. This in turn helps students learn how to express their feelings and enter into more trusting relationships.
Our school’s therapy dog, Icon, has been carefully selected and put through a strict testing regime prior to starting at Hawkesbury High School.
Click here to meet Icon, our school's therapy dog.
