A Manual and Curriculum for the Use of Service Dogs to Support the Social Communication, Behavior, and Academic Development of Students with Autism and Other Disabilities

This is a manual and curriculum for using service dogs in the classroom as a catalyst for improving social communication, behavioral, and academic skills for students, with a focus upon students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.The product for this project is a curriculum for using service dogs in the classroom as a catalyst for improving social communication, behavioral, and academic skills for students, with a focus upon students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This manual includes the curriculum entitled ???A Paws-itive Approach: Learning the ABCs (Academic, Behavior & Communication Skills) Using Service Dogs ??? A Manual and Curriculum for Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Other Disabilities. Although it was created for educators interested in using a trained service dog in the classroom, it also is useful for school administrators who are considering incorporating this type of animal intervention on a school site or within a school district. The activities and lessons included in the manual are designed to be used in any educational setting, preferably with small groups of students and in a location away from outside distractions. These activities and lessons were created for children with ASD in mind, however, are appropriate for students of all ages who may have a social communication, behavioral, or academic difficulty. The ultimate goal for teachers and students involved in this program is to gain a better understanding of how people and dogs behave, communicate, and interact with one another and how this knowledge relates to themselves and their relationship with the world around them.Educatio