Service Kid or Therapy Kid?

Objective: (1) to help the young people to better understand what it is like to be a teenager with a disability. (2) To help them understand the difference between a therapy dog and a service dog. (3) To challenge the youth to become a "therapy kid" and/or a "service kid."

Scripture: Matthew 7:12

I. Introduction

We have three very special guests here today. Zach is a 16 year-old Greenfield-Central High School student. Zeke, a Golden Retriever, is his service dog. Also here today is Denise Arland, Zach's mother. Denise is the founder of FUSE (Families United for Support and Encouragement.) She is also the mother of four 16-year-old boys and a 12 year-old. Denise and Zach, we appreciate so much your help in putting this program together and being here today.

Zeke is a service dog, also called an assistance dog. He is trained to help Zach do things that Zach finds difficult to do for himself. Other service dogs may be trained to assist their owners with different but very specific skills. For example, you are all familiar with dogs that assist people with impaired vision. Service dogs are trained to meet specific needs of people with disabilities. 

Zach is going to talk with you about being a teenager with cerebral palsy (CP) and show you some of the ways Zeke helps him.

Let’s welcome Zach and Zeke!

II. Zach & Zeke presentation

Questions

III. Wrap-up

Thank you Zach and Zeke! That is really cool!

Let’s talk just a minute about the differences between a therapy dog and a service dog. Reggie is a therapy dog. His purpose in life is to bring happiness to the people we visit. Zeke is a service dog. He does for Zach things that Zach finds difficult to do for himself. Just recently, I have been exchanging emails with a woman whose daughter has an extreme peanut allergy. Her service dog is trained to detect any scent of peanuts, so she can avoid a life-threatening allergic reaction. Another service dog I saw recently on TV is trained to alert it’s owner 45 minutes before she has a seizure.

A service dog, like Zeke, requires much more training than the therapy dog and is allowed to go to restaurants, groceries, almost everywhere the owner goes. Therapy dogs can only go where they are invited. Usually the service dog will wear a vest and when you see a service dog working you should not pet it. It is usually o.k. to pet a therapy dog, but you should always ask before you pet any dog you don’t know.

IV. Conclusion

To sum up: therapy dogs bring joy and happiness to others and service dogs  assist people with disabilities. Both are important – but different!

In individuals groups: Ask youngsters to think of ways they can be therapy kids and/or service kids. Adapt activities to the age and abilities of the group. There are some suggestions below if the youngsters don’t come up with something. Have the children vote on what project they would like to do.

Possible Projects for Therapy Kids

1. Visit Springhurst on a Sunday afternoon with Reggie and Judy.
2. Make Easter cards to send to church members at nursing homes or hospital.
3. Select someone and every Sunday go up and give that person a hug.
4. Adopt a friend (a shut-in who needs visits and friendship.)

Possible Projects for Service Kids

1.  Wash dishes at Soup Kitchen.
2.  Help organize food at food pantry.
3.  Help at FUSE Celebrating Abilities Expo (March 13).
4.  Help some older people with chores (perhaps  the adopted friend.)
5.  Make hygiene kits for Haiti.

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