“Teacher Furry” Is Here! The Children Welfare Service Center, Social Welfare Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government commissioned Eden Foundation to operate the Chisan Early Intervention Service Center to host an animal-assisted therapy parent-child class at the center on the 19th, Mar. Led by Ms. Wen-Chun Mao, an animal-assisted therapist from the Professional Animal-Assisted Therapy Association of the Taiwan, the program building on last year’s group sessions which expanded this year to include both parents and children. These “Furry” Teachers seemed to radiate energy, helping the “Slow-Flying Angels” smile again.
Six parent-child families attended the session today. Parents watched as their children participated in the activities with liveliness and enthusiasm. In particular, when the “slow-flying angels” saw the dogs (Bobi, Hanji, and Mifu), even the usually quiet young children called out the dogs’ names and reached out their little hands to interact with them. Some even raised their hands to ask for a brush to groom the therapy dogs or to feed them treats.
Last year, when the Slow-Flying Angel, Hsiao-Hao, first started attending the program, he was afraid of dogs and often kept his distance from these “Furry” Teachers. However, with the guidance of the animal-assisted therapist, he tried sitting next to the dogs, then feeding them treats and petting them. He even learned to follow the therapist’s commands, saying “sit,” “lie down,” and “shake hands.”
It turns out that when Hsiao-Hao was three years old, his mother noticed he was unusually quiet, rarely making sounds throughout the day, and seemed different from other children. She took him to the hospital for a child development assessment, where he was diagnosed with global developmental delay. Since his older brother had previously received professional consultation at an early intervention service center, his mother contacted an early intervention social worker again. With the social worker’s assistance, Hsiao-Hao enrolled in the day care program at the Chisan Early Intervention Service Center.
Now, his mother and Hsiao-Hao participate together in the animal-assisted therapy parent-child program. Seeing Hsiao-Hao transform from being afraid to actively engaging in interactions, she cannot help but feel it is truly amazing. The mother shared with the social worker that after participating in the animal-assisted therapy sessions, her child has shown a completely different side—his face is now filled with smiles, and his willingness to communicate has greatly improved.
Ms. Shu-Tsui Cheng, Director of the Eden’s Chisan Early Intervention Service Center, explained that the introduction of animal-assisted therapy dogs to the center allows children to interact with these “furry teachers,” who help them learn, soothe their emotions, and train their sensory perception. For more information on therapeutic services for preschool-aged children with disabilities or developmental delays in the great Chisan District, please call +883-7-661-8106.
