Amazing Individualsl

I do not have a background in occupational therapy so my exposure to individuals with disabilities has been very limited. Through our visits I have met some individuals whose gifts are amazing - I never fail to leave with a feeling of being humbled that I have been granted a healthy body and min.

There is 'A, a young autistic savant who in a second, figured my age, after he asked my birth date, and did the same instantaneous age calculation on my son after asking when he graduated from high school. I have met numerous Down's Syndrome individuals who don't connect much to people but will happily hug and pet Toby. And then the other day was 'P' a young lady so mentally challenged that you weren't at all sure she was aware of anything around her until we rubbed her feet on Toby's side and she started to giggle. Her aides, some of whom had worked with her for years, had never heard her laugh. And then there is 'T', a boy with CP and who is also blind. When he feels Toby's fur, the smile on his normally non-reactive face is always mega-watt.

Pet Therapy

Certified by Delta Society in 2009, my Golden Retriever Toby and I started volunteering as a pet therapy team. This year we are doing 11 Easter Seals camps, and will start in the fall volunteering at the Milwaukee Center For Independence, a wonderful facility that works with all ages of individuals with disabilities. Each experience we've had has made me realize how very fortunate we are, if we are born with a healthy body and mind. It's been an amazing journey to see how an animal can have an affect on an individual where another human may not. Toby loves his "work" and this journey has enriched both of our lives in more ways than I thought possible.