Sample consult involving a Down's syndrome teen and a new puppy

First let me say that I am a trained observer. When I am asked to consult, the first thing I do is look for natural strengths. Everyone has them, even the most severely impaired individuals. Once strengths are identified, goals are set that build on and use those strengths.

I was recently asked advise about how to integrate a new puppy into the lives of a very special family. There is a teen boy in the family who has Down's syndrome, ADHD, OCD, sensory issues and tourette's. His mother was looking for ideas of to involve him in the care of the new little fluffer. Mom was concerned that her son would not like the puppy.

After some conversation, I learned that the son, who I will call S, loves  to read. Aha! Books are a great tool when planning any type of intervention. Again, we look at natural tendencies and strengths. I recommended that mom make a trip to the library for books about the type of dog that would be joining the family. Next I asked her to make a simple  book about the new dog and S. I suggested that the teacher at school be asked to support S in bringing the book to school for show and tell. I also suggested that the teacher give daily positive feedback to S about the new dog and let natural conversation happen with S and his peers for a few minutes each day at school.

In addition, I suggested that mom look at the Nurtured Heart approach, which focuses on positive behaviors and fills the child's self esteem, as they are observed doing good things. An example of how this might look would be, when S shows kind behavior towards the puppy mom could say something like "wow S, you really are good at being a kind friend " then she would describe exactly what he did that was kind. "You remembered to use a gentle hand when petting. Thank you for being a gentle friend, it makes me feel very proud of you." The key to this approach is strong and frequent  attention focused  on positive moments.

This is a case study at the beginnings of the working stage for us to follow and I will post again, as things evolve. My plan over time will be to transfer the skills S learns befriending the new puppy to human friendship skills. This is an area that mom has shared as a challenge for S. I want to thank S's mom for allowing me to post about the family's adventure with a new puppy and a very special Down's syndrome young man. This is a great example of how pets can be used as an intervention for special needs kids.

Thanks for reading today. Here is a link to information about the Nurtured Heart approach:

http://difficultchild.com/