A dog handling and training center may seem like an unusual site for a structured learning experience (SLE) for students with disabilities, but for the last six years, Kathy Santo’s Dog Training School in Ramsey has been one of more than 45 local locations – libraries, farmers markets, pharmacies and a car dealership – where teens from The Forum School spend time learning in the community.

According to Vicki Ofmani, Supervisor of Instruction and SLE coordinator, it is actually the first site students go to when they turn 16 and begin to take part in SLE. Students go once a week, learning communication, social skills, self-regulation, and self-advocacy as they interact with dogs and their handlers.

Dogs need consistency in order to respond, so our students learn how to use language very precisely and how to use positive reinforcement.”
— Vicki Ofmani, Supervisor of Instruction, SLE Coordinator

The canine connections do not end there. Every six weeks, dogs from Santo’s school come to campus. On the grassy lawn in front of the school, every student gets a chance to interact with the dogs, reading to them, petting them, brushing them, and offering them snacks.

“It gives a boost to our younger readers, but even more, it creates a calming atmosphere,” said Ofmani. “Students get a chance to walk the animals, feed them, and learn how to do some basic agility training with them. It is very hands-on and interactive.”

For some students, the SLE teaching goal may be to address phobias and help them prepare for a world in which there are dogs everywhere.

“One student was so terrified of animals that he would not even approach the window to look at the dogs,” said Ofmani. “We brought him back, and with a lot of patience, he learned to go inside, and then sit in a room with them. Today, he is grooming the dogs and talks to them. His parents are thrilled that without paralyzing fear, he can now safely – and cautiously – interact with animals when they are out,” concluded Ofmani.