Therapy certification?

[Spectrum]

For my community psychology class this semester I'm required to do 15 hours of community service (or write a 10 page paper, but blech, I'll take community service over that any day!  ). I was thinking about finally getting Gavroche certified as a therapy dog and going to schools/hospitals/etc for my hours, since it's something I've been planning to do and would like to do long-term. The problem is that the next TDI test here isn't until the middle of October, and even then it's a long ways away, plus the processing takes 6-8 weeks per their web site...I don't have that much time, as my hours are due my the end of November. As far as I understand, the Delta Society requires you to take a specific class before you can get certified with them, and either I was doing a bad job of searching or there are no Delta instructors-evaluators in Kansas.

So, my question is, are there are other good therapy dog organizations to get certified by that are quicker? Or do a lot of places certify therapy dogs on an individual basis? The other part I read about TDI is that if you are certified by them, you cant' get certified or participate in any other therapy dog program. I don't know how well that would work out for me, as I have a place (several actually) in mind that I'd like to work, at least one of which I'm fairly certain would be open to it, but as I understand it if they aren't part of what TDI covers, I can't do it if I end up getting certified with TDI.

Should I just start contacting places and seeing what their individual policies are on therapy dogs?

Suggestions would be helpful! 

[Kirsten]

I've done Delta and TDI.  Hated TDI.

Delta has a home study course.  Just get the book.  You two already know most of the material.  There's even a way to get evaluated by a local trainer if a Delta evaluator isn't available (it's a little known option, but it exists).

http://www.deltasociety.org/Page.aspx?pid=261
http://www.deltasociety.org/Page.aspx?pid=392

But yeah, you should check in with the facilities you want to visit and find out if they have specific requirements.  The Delta insurance covers more activities than TDI because they have two levels of certification, so unless they specifically want TDI, you're probably going to be more flexible in what you can do with Delta.

[Spectrum]

Thank you, I didn't know about the home study course. I will check into that! 

[Smithcat]

Just as a semantic note about Delta, TDI and TDInc.:

They dont "certify" therapy dogs, they place them in a "registry".

[Rovingrebel]

The nice thing about being part of these registries is they do test the animals, have requirements about visiting, and some times offer liability insurance to their teams. My retired SD passed the TDI just before retirement.

[Spectrum]

Thank you for the correction Smithcat. I must have seen the term "certify" somewhere and then gotten mixed up 

[Kirsten]

"Certify" vs "register" is a legal liability thing.  Something the "certify over the internet" scam organizations haven't quite grasped.  It will bite them eventually.  Literally.

[Spectrum]

I have decided I want to start a READ program here. It's probably not going to get off the ground fast enough to count for my community service this semester, but it's a more long-term thing that I'd love to get going. I just e-mailed my dad asking if he'd be willing to help keep it going once I move, so we'll see what happens ^.^

Gavroche got glomped by a group of kids at the river tonight, and he just sat there with about 5 kids petting and hugging him, looking like the happiest dog on earth  

[Roxie]

Cool!!! I totally support animal assisted literacy programs!  I've used Tay for about a year with my own reading program that I developed.

Now I'm putting together a tutoring program and incorporating Tay into it for the elementary clients.

You are aware, you don't have to use READ format, or be associated with them, don't you?

One of the most important things is to select the right reading material for the age and reading level the child is at. You have to pick something that the child is stoked up about, interested in, start off easy and keep raising the bar a tad every now and then. The child's teacher can offer book choices as can the children's librarian.

They have READ here, but only in the summer. Kids struggling with reading need more than just a week or two in the summer with a cute sweet dog. It needs to be year around to be effective in enhancing their literacy.

Go for it!! Have some fun!!!! I have a bajillion books here if you want some really cool, interesting, motivating, captivating reads for k-3rd grade.  I'm always happy to share titles!

I recruit special needs and struggling students... but hold spaces open for all kids!

Roxie

[Spectrum]

Yes, I am aware I don't have to stick to READ specifically, and I probably actually won't, but it's an option that's open.  I'd lvoe to start my own ^.^ 

I was thinking about this some more last night, and I realized...I also have to do a study for my research methods class, so I can do this for my study too!  See how kids read without a dog, then with the dog (I had to fumble around in the dark for a piece of paer and scribbled down about a page of details for it just before I fell asleep last night. And my instructor said study ideas don't come as last night epiphanies, pffffft!). They said do something you're interested in, and I'm definitely interested in this! 

[Roxie]

This project will be a win-win-win one for you, your dog, and your students!!!

One of the things you might want to look at is number of words per minute the student can read pre and post your experiment.

There is already hard data on that. It demonstrated that students increased their wpm reading ability by reading aloud to a dog. You could research that data, and replicate the experiment and see if your data correlates with the existing data.

Or just create you own pre and post wpm scores to see if there is a difference!

I wish I were doing this experiment! It sounds FUN!!! And y'all know how much I love fun!

Another thing you could test is vocabulary to see if there would be a change in the child's number of words understood and used in the proper grammatical sentence structure. That may take a bit longer time to see change.

I LOVE it when you people are doing these research projects in college!! You make me feel so involved, creative, and "young" again!!!

Whew! I gotta settle down here!

Roxie

[Cera]

The hours putting together the program should be considered 'community service'.

[Spectrum]

One of the things you might want to look at is number of words per minute the student can read pre and post your experiment.

You must have looked at my paper I scribbled on last night!    That's exactly what I was planning ^.^  Other research is good, because we have to have a certain number of peer-reviewed sources to support us, and if there are not enough sources we can't do it for credit. I was looking at some stuff today while I was at work, and there seems to be plenty of support to back it up!

The hours putting together the program should be considered 'community service'.

For most purposes, it would, but this instructor specifically says it has to be work in the community, so the planning and getting everything together doesn't count, just the actual activity itself.

[Roxie]

!!!!      I AM clairvoyant!!!! First the dream, then the phone call ... and now your scribbles on a paper in an unknown to me location somewhere in the world!!!

I'm really getting a tad freaked out! Aww.... just messin' with ya!

Do consult with your prof's for input. I think you have a winner.  Heck, you could even follow the children's progress through your entire academic career to see if the changes remain constant or fade over the time!!

Oooooh!  I smell a fellowship in the making!!

Roxie

[Spectrum]

I emailed my community psychology professor last night, and her reply this morning was "Sounds like a great project, but more than I am looking for. You can do it, but you could also just go to an animal shelter, volunteer for 15 hours, and be done with it." Which is a rather disheartening answer, considering she's a community psycholgist. I tried to make a point that I wasn't trying to just get my hours and be done with it, I wanted to start something and keep it going.

Oh well, I'm still going to do it, and her lack of enthusiasm and do-something-and-get-it-overwith attitude isn't going to stop me