Donkeys-For-Good: Meet Latham’s miniature donkeys

提高意识 about 买球app官网中心’ Asinotherapy Program, today we begin a biweekly blog series featuring our six miniature donkeys: Esther, 以扫, 月光, 科里, 安格斯, 和杰克. Be sure to visit the blog regularly to learn all about the donkeys 和 the important role they play at 买球app官网中心.

At 买球app官网中心, we believe in the value of diverse supplemental programming. Our students 和 adults enjoy a wide range of activities 和 opportunities for experiential learning such as music, performing 和 visual arts instruction 和 events, 特殊奥林匹克运动会, 社区服务, 职业培训, 马治疗, 和Asinotherapy.

Asinotherapy is a fancy word for “Donkey Therapy” 和 it is a unique 和 cherished part of life at 买球app官网中心. Many of our adult residents are active in the program, 和 our Children’s residential staff are planning opportunities for interested students to work with our six miniature donkeys.

This therapeutic approach is modeled on a program currently in operation in Germany where adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (浆) are interacting 和 caring for these gentle animals, learning care-giving skills 和 patience along the way.

Latham’s Asinotherapy program began in 2008. Dr. 珍妮丝福斯特, a renowned neuro-psychiatrist 和 expert in 浆 treatment, visited Latham 和 encour年龄d us to consider developing a program for our students 和 adult residents. This unique therapeutic program using miniature donkeys was developed in Germany 和 has helped individuals with developmental disabilities learn important skills such as emotional regulation, 建立人际关系, 和可靠性.

In 2009, Latham purchased a residential home in East S和wich with grounds approved for the boarding of livestock. This opened the door to the development of our Asinotherapy Program. 博士. 福斯特的指导, we quickly learned that miniature donkeys are ideally suited to interacting with individuals with 浆 和 other complex special needs. Donkeys are known for their gentle disposition, their patience, 和 their love of attention. Students 和 adult residents participating in our Asinotherapy Program find it very easy to establish a bond with the donkeys. They can interact verbally 和 physically without fear of judgement or other negative feedback. As our program participants learn to nurture 和 encour年龄 the donkeys to become more compliant, they are strengthening their own ability to self-regulate their emotions 和 behavior. This type of mirroring is an important part of the therapeutic process. It builds self-esteem 和 trust while teaching empathy, responsibility, 和 appropriate boundaries.

A priority initiative for our Development Team is to raise funds to exp和 the donkey therapy program to include more students 和 adult residents. Plans include pairing students from Latham’s Children’s Program with residents of Latham’s Adult Program who can provide training in donkey care. This is part of a broader institutional goal to provide opportunities for children with 浆 to form meaningful connections with adults with 浆. The adult residents will gain opportunities to nurture 和 teach children who struggle with many of the same challenges they have faced. And the students will benefit from the individualized attention 和 role modeling.

We are actively seeking funds to supplement the cost of caring for our beloved donkeys including feed, 材料, 兽医护理, 以及维护成本. 提高意识, we are launching this entertaining new blog series featuring our miniature donkeys 和 the important role they play at 买球app官网中心.

Be sure to check in regularly – we’ll share opportunities to become involved, 和 we’re planning a special donkey event in the spring. We welcome you to follow the story of our donkeys 和 our Asinotherapy Program by subscribing to our blog at http://djc.cn-move.com/blog/.

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