Animal Assisted Therapy 101 for Faculty and Students
This course is meant to educate university faculty and students who are interested in pursuing projects, practice or research in the area of Animal Assisted Therapy (a subcategory of Animal Assisted Interventions). In Part I, speakers will differentiate terminology in the body of Animal Assisted Interventions, describe professional responsibilities and introduce different methods of Animal Assisted Therapy and Animal Assisted Education. In Part Two, the speakers will review some current literature and discuss limitations and weaknesses in the research. They will then explain approaches that can be used to strengthen studies, and discuss key factors to consider when designing studies focusing specifically on Animal Assisted Therapy.
Your Instructor
Melissa Winkle, OTR/L, FAOTA is president of Dogwood Therapy Services & Animal Assisted Intervention International. She has 17 years experience as an occupational therapist and training dogs for animal assisted therapy and training service dogs and the people who work with them.
Ellen Herlache-Pretzer Ed.D., MA OTRL is Associate Professor and Program Director of the OT program at Saginaw Valley State University. She has 17 years experience working with assistance dogs, and is a field representative with Paws with a Cause.