Personalized Animal-Assisted Therapy
Canine-assisted therapy is an innovative intervention that uses trained dogs to help children develop targeted life skills in a fun, engaging, and emotionally safe environment. At Eastwind Cares, we specialize in pairing therapy dogs with neurodivergent children to support their areas for growth.
Each child is paired with a highly trained therapy dog specifically selected for your child and guided by a skilled interventionist. We begin with a thorough intake and assessment to understand your child’s strengths, needs, and goals. We also examine the child’s preferences to determine which service dog would be the best therapy participant.
Our therapy sessions involve purposeful, goal-based interactions between a child and a trained therapy dog, guided by a qualified interventionist. Activities include grooming, cooperative walking, feeding routines, and social games—all designed to teach real-life socially relevant skills through natural, engaging moments.
Therapy dogs offer a unique emotional and sensory connection that helps lower anxiety, increase task engagement, and build trust. Dogs are nonjudgmental, consistent, and responsive—making them ideal partners for children who may struggle in traditional therapy settings.
Targeted Life Skills Development
Our sessions are built around measurable goals to create a joyful and deeply effective therapy model.
Here are the areas of need that we address in our sessions.
Functional Communication
Increase functional communication skills including eye contact.
Emotional Regulation
Strengthen emotional regulation and resilience.
Independence & Self-Care
Foster independence and tolerance of self-care routines.
Self-Confidence
Build self-confidence by targeting flexibility and adaptability.
Pre-Job Skills (for teens)
Develop pre-job skills relevant for future independence.
How Our Sessions Support Your Child
Our program uses principles of applied behavior analysis to create individualized and effective therapy for children with various developmental differences. Here’s how our sessions are tailored for each condition:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
ASD is a developmental disability that affects how people communicate, interact with others, and behave. It’s characterized by differences in social interaction and communication, as well as the presence of repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. ASD is considered a spectrum because the symptoms and their severity can vary greatly from person to person.
- Skill building: Teaches communication, social, and self-care skills in small, measurable steps.
- Behavior reduction: Helps reduce challenging behaviors like aggression, self-injury, or tantrums by identifying triggers and reinforcing alternative behaviors.
- Individualized programs: Tailored to each child’s specific strengths and needs, we use a blend of teaching methods to embed the goals under naturalistic contexts that are engaging and motivating.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD in children is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. While often diagnosed in childhood, ADHD can continue into adulthood.
- Improves focus and task completion: Breaks tasks into smaller steps and uses reinforcement for staying on task.
- Reduces impulsivity and hyperactivity: Teaches self-regulation strategies and alternative behaviors through structured routines and positive reinforcement.
- Teaches coping strategies: Helps children learn how to wait, take turns, and follow rules.
Down Syndrome & Other Genetic Conditions
Down syndrome is a genetic condition where a person has an extra copy of chromosome 21, affecting how the brain and body develop. There are other genetic disorders besides Down syndrome caused by abnormalities in an individual’s DNA, such as Fragile X syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Turner syndrome, and more.
- Teaches life skills and communication: Focuses on improving independence, language development, and adaptive behavior.
- Supports cognitive delays: Uses repetition and visual supports to help with memory and comprehension.
- Encourages social interaction: Promotes peer engagement through role-play and social stories.
Speech & Language Delays
Speech and language delays in children refer to situations where communication skills develop at a slower pace than typically expected. This can involve difficulties understanding language (receptive), using language to express oneself (expressive), or producing speech sounds.
- Builds expressive and receptive language: Uses prompting, modeling, and reinforcement to teach naming, requesting, answering questions, etc.
- Encourages communication attempts: Reinforces any effort to communicate, whether verbal, sign language, or using AAC.
- Generalizes skills: Practices language in different settings to ensure understanding and use across environments.
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
SPD in children is a neurological condition where the brain has difficulty receiving and processing information from the senses. This can lead to over or under-reactions to sensory input, impacting a child’s ability to function in daily life.
- Manages sensory-related behaviors: Identifies sensory triggers and teaches coping or replacement behaviors (e.g., deep pressure instead of hitting).
- Increases tolerance: Uses gradual exposure (desensitization) to help a child tolerate stimuli like sounds, textures, or movement.
- Works collaboratively: We often coordinate with occupational therapists to support sensory needs within a behavioral framework.
Family-Centered Support
We believe therapy works best when it includes the whole family. Parents and caregivers are welcomed into the process, receiving updates, guidance, and tools to support progress at home and in the community. If a child only demonstrates a skill in a 1:1 setting in a traditional center and not with the people in their lives, then we strongly believe that this is not good enough.
Many parents have said “I would give anything to have my child tolerate hair brushing without a long tantrum.” Or state, “I would love to have my child tolerate nail clipping and showering without resistance and it require two people to keep my child still.” We listen. We hear you. We will help you.
Our team brings together leading experts in dog training and experts in behavioral science to create a therapy model that is joyful and deeply effective.
Eastwind Cares can help as an add on to your existing therapy. We believe that efficacy occurs when therapy is individualized, consistent, and done in collaboration with families. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, but a flexible framework that can significantly enhance development and quality of life for children with diverse needs.
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