Animal Assisted and Occupational Therapy – Improve Your Independence

This presentation will provide an overview of animal assisted therapy and occupational therapy, and the importance of engaging in meaningful occupations (daily activities that occupies our time) for individuals with Asperger’s and autism spectrum disorder. We will demonstrate how these therapeutic interventions can support those looking to improve independent living skills, social interaction skills, perspective taking, self-esteem, executive functioning, motor skills, sensory processing, and more through live demonstrations with our canine co-therapists. We will also discuss who might benefit from the human-animal bond and the differences between therapy dogs, emotional support animals, and assistance dogs.

About the Speaker
Dr. Karen Ni, OTD, OTR/L is an occupational therapist, animal assisted therapy practitioner, dog trainer, and owner of SunDog Therapy. She received her Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate degrees in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California. Karen has acquired continuing education in dog behavior, training, handling, and welfare, and in developing animal assisted therapy programs. She is also a Field Representative for Paws With a Cause, an assistance dog organization, and a Pet Partners evaluator for volunteer visiting therapy animal teams. Karen is passionate about facilitating the human-animal bond between individuals of all abilities and our canine companions and she is dedicated to supporting individuals on their paths to greater health, wellbeing, and meaningful participation in daily life.

The meeting starts at 7:00 pm, and is free to individuals and families dealing with AS, HFA or PDD-NOS, but reservations are required.