In 2009 as a retired educator, Jeannie Bolstridge founded an educational, IRS registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit named Sensory Friendly Learning Inc. She created this organization with the hope of providing free, after-school tutoring to children who needed it the most. She had experience with tutoring special needs children from when she would take her registered therapy dog to the elementary school. This dog was even written into one autistic child’s IEP.
Tag: therapy dog
Introduction to Max
My name is Max. I was born into a very prominant American dynasty. It’s in my blood to be a winner. My life is like a narrow, one-way road because of all the requirements made upon me. As a youngster, I was groomed in all manner of social graces. My teeth had to be perfectly straight. my bite had to be aligned from left to right without even a hint of an overbite, my head and shoulders had to be held in a balanced, erect position that resulted in a gait that spelled “royalty”. Can anyone identify with my life’s calling to perfection?
I guess I could tell you about communal life. I’ve lived with others since I was born. Well, I guess growing up with family isn’t too bad. At some point in everyone’s life we meet eyeball to eyeball with a possessive sibling. You know the kind. He’s the dude who squanders every treat whether these goodies are meant for him or not, plays with other’s toys, and straddles his own toys like a mother duck sitting on her eggs who is in no way willing to share. Like I said, I guess community life is not that bad, but someday I would like to stand on my own merits.
Xrays and ultrasounds and blood tests, OH MY! Even if I donate my time to the needy, exhibit perfect manners, or refrain from complaining, my calling in life also mandates perfection on the inside! These are the things I dislike the most. I ask you, what percentage of population has to endure as a matter of formality the xrays, ultrasounds, and blood tests that I face to be sure such things as my thyroid, kidneys, and titer levels are acceptable. After all of this, I guess you can call me “squeaky clean”.
IEP sessions with a therapy dog.
There are some children who are drawn to animals and prosper academically and socially when they receive the unconditional friendship that a dog can supply. Such was the case with this seven-year-old child. I hope you are inspired by this presentation.
April 2012
Jeannie Bolstridge and Brittany Ammons did a walk-through of the room in the Fitzgerald Utilities Building with Jim Sellers, a board member, to prepare for the Information Fair/Zumbathon fundraiser.
Sensory Friendly Learning had a free Information Fair at the Fitzgerald Utilities Building. We had pictures of the children with Max, T-shirts at discount prices, a door prize, child, adult, and, grandparent Zumba sessions, and information about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Facing Autism Together Everyday, and bibliotherapy.
May 2011
Jeannie and Max ended the school year by visiting each classroom where we were invited and reading a book to the class. Max wore a backpack full of candy that he made available to each child as he circulated down the rows of classroom seats.
Max was also invited into Nancy Sutton’s 3rd grade class in the Ben Hill Elementary School. A short ebook was written about this experience and posted on the blog and linked below.
This post was written by Jeannie Bolstridge of Social Teaching for Kids.
April 2011
Jeannie Bolstridge and the therapy dog Max have been successfully meeting an hour daily in school with a child with Autism. This four month project has drawn so much positive attention amongst teachers who know this child that the child’s mom had Max written into her child’s IEP. The Marcus Autism Center was contacted and wrote goals for this child’s IEP that included the therapy dog. You can find these goals now on the linked blog post Marcus Autism Center’s Goals for Child’s IEP.
This post was written by Jeannie Bolstridge of Social Teaching for Kids.
Autism 4 Life 