The programmes currently on offer are based around working 1-1 or in small groups with an educational bias with a dog present. This enables the client to relax and interact with the dog as and when necessary, whilst completing their work as agreed at the onset of the sessions. Adding a dog into the sessions allows me as a specialist teacher to get the student involved in what we are trying to achieve with the focus shifted towards the animal and not the issues that require working on.
Having worked as a teacher, autism specialist and SENCO within Cambridgeshire for the last 20 years I am experienced and able to assess and develop student support plans, offer staff training and advise on interventions which will enable the student to develop their potential in education. I am also a Cognitive Brain Therapist (CBT), coach and mentor with a Masters in Autism (Children) From Birmingham University.
I have had and trained dog's all of my life and as part of my Masters in Education I carried out research into teaching students with Autism to read dogs body language as part of a Social Skills package initially moving onto teaching with a dog in the classroom. I went on and developed my CASSIE program which has been highly successful and many students have been able to transfer this into reading human body language.
I also run staff training in schools and colleges on Autism, stress and anxiety in exams and other aspects of SEN. I am a Family and parenting support/ group work facilitator; and very experienced in working in partnership with other agencies.
All of my interventions are regularly monitored and reviewed. Data collection and/or monitoring/evaluation can take various forms depending on the programme. and will utilise existing feedback/evaluation tools wherever possible.