Animals make great companions. Whether you have pets of your own, have a service animal, visit with friends and family who have pets, or visit animals on a farm. No matter how you get exposure to animals, their presence can have a therapeutic and calming effect. However, it’s important to remember that animals, like people, can read certain social cues and give off their own.
Animal cues are communicated via body language and vocal sounds and communicate a variety of different emotions: calm, fear, excitement, aggression, or anxiety. It is therefore very important to teach our learners to understand and follow some social safety rules when interacting with furry friends. Here are some important proactive skills to teach our learners to ensure that their experience with furry friends is safe and fun!
Seeking Permission
Teach your child to always seek permission from you and or the owner of the animal to make sure that it is ok to touch and interact with the animal. Teaching kids to seek permission eliminates the guesswork as to whether an animal is child friendly. It is the safest way to interact with animals that you don’t know.
Approaching an Animal
Teach your child to approach an animal calmly and from the front. Have your child gently hold out a closed fist just under the animal’s head to give them an opportunity to sniff you. Using a closed fist minimizes the chances that an animal mistakes your approach as handing them a treat which could result in them attempting to nibble at your hand.
Ending an interaction
Teach your child to end an interaction with an animal by calmly retracting their hands to their sides and calmly and slowly backing away from the animal. Teaching these skills proactively will help your child remain calm and know how to exit an interaction with an animal should a friendly animal become agitated.
About the Author
Justyna Balzar has over 15 years' experience with learners of varying profiles between the ages of 3 to 18 across multiple settings. She received her Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) certification in 2014 from Florida Institute of Technology, her Master in Curriculum and Education in Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University, followed by her BCBA certification in 2016.
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