The Calais School in Whippany is one of only five public and private schools in New Jersey to be recognized by the New Jersey School Boards Association for its creative efforts, enabling special needs students to achieve their fullest potential through its trailblazing animal therapy program.

Each year in May, as part of Special Education Week, NJSBA (The New Jersey School Boards Association) and ASAH (Association of Schools and Agencies for the Handicapped) sponsor the Innovations in Special Education Award Program to highlight exemplary special needs programs in schools that inspire others in the special education community.

In early 2022, Tiffany Shevchik, MA, CCLS Animal Assisted Interventions Coordinator at the Calais School submitted an entry on behalf of the Calais School for its trailblazing Animal Assisted Interventions program (AAI). Established in 2013 with funding from The Calais Foundation, Calais’ AAI program uses dogs to deliver therapeutic value that extends far beyond the basic benefits of recreational meet-and-greet scenarios. The program’s various forms of intervention have been developed entirely for students with special learning needs in a school environment. 

Calais’ highly trained therapy dogs work alongside therapists and students in individual and group counseling sessions, reading remediation, speech therapy, occupational therapy, social skills building, physical therapy, and in-school crisis response. Their involvement improves student engagement as they work to overcome challenges and achieve their academic and therapeutic goals. 

The Calais School’s incorporation of therapy dogs into various areas of support and counseling has given support and hope to students struggling with mental health, learning disabilities and socialization challenges. AAI not only improves student motivation, it creates a noticeable decrease in students’ anxiety, improvement in communication, self-awareness, emotional regulation, and personal relationships.

 “Congratulations to all the award-winning schools selected. We are honored to be acknowledged for the work we do to meet the academic, social and emotional needs of the students we work with each day,” comments Ms. Shevchik. “The Calais School AAI program is working to develop a gold standard curriculum to share with other schools. Our future goal is to grow Calais’ team of handlers and dogs so that we can expand our robust program beyond related services and into more classrooms.” 

The Calais Animal Assisted Interventions Team is pioneering the delivery of effective animal therapy in special education. Since its inception, the program has grown to encompass multiple dogs and handlers while developing industry standards for AAI integration and analytics in schools. The Calais School looks forward to continuing its work in developing impactful programs for special education.

What it Means to Be Recognized

In addition to being recognized during the May 12 Facebook Live event, each school will receive in-depth coverage in a NJSBA’s School Leader magazine, a commemorative plaque for their building, and an Innovations in Special Education Award badge to post on their websites.

—-

The Calais School, a private state-approved special education provider for grades K to 12 Plus, creates a nurturing environment and therapeutic approach enabling special needs students to regulate their emotions, build self-esteem for successful learning and personal growth.