Mission Statement
Heeling House, Inc. is one of the pioneers in the emerging field of Animal Assisted Interactions. Our mission is to improve the lives of children with special needs through the use of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), and Animal Assisted Activities. Our highly trained and experienced Heeling House Animal Therapy Teams work side by side with physical, occupational, and speech therapists, special education teachers, counselors and child life specialists to improve the lives of children with special needs. Heeling House is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization.
Description
Heeling House, Inc. provides the following types of Animal Assisted Interventions
Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT): Animal Assisted Therapy is a goal oriented, planned and structured therapeutic intervention directed and/or delivered by health, education and human service professionals. Intervention progress is measured and included in professional documentation. AAT is delivered and/or directed by a formally trained (with active licensure, degree or equivalent) professional with expertise within the scope of the professionals’ practice. AAT focuses on enhancing physical, cognitive, behavioral and/or socio-emotional functioning of the particular human client
. Animal Assisted Education (AAE): Animal Assisted Education is a goal oriented, planned and structured intervention directed and/or delivered by educational and related service professional. AAE is conducted by qualified (with degree) general and special education teacher. The focus of the activities is on academic goals, prosocial skills and cognitive functioning. The student’s progress is measured and documented. An example of AAE delivered by a special education teacher is a dog-assisted reading program.
Animal Assisted Activity (AAA): AAAs are informal interactions/ visitations often conducted on a volunteer basis by the human-animal team for motivational, educational and recreational purposes. There are no treatment goals for the interactions. Examples of AAA include animal assisted crisis response that focuses on providing comfort and support for trauma, crisis and disaster survivors, and visiting companion animals for 'meet and greet’ activities with residents in nursing homes.
