The Executive Director of ‘Intermountain Therapy Animals Inc.’, Ms. Kathy Klotz, was guest speaker at the symposium and she presented some interesting case studies. Intermountain Therapy Animals Inc. developed and operates a unique system for improving reading abilities in children by a method in which children read to dogs. The system is called the R.E.A.D. Program and was developed alongside the creation of ‘Reading Education Assistance Dogs’.

In her lecture, Ms. Klotz remarked on the importance of preparing a relaxed atmosphere in which children can get on with their learning without any stress. The R.E.A.D. dogs are ideal partners for children when they read because, even if a child makes a mistake, the dog does not criticize, tease or laugh. Instead they patiently and attentively listen, meaning that children pursue their reading with confidence and assurance.
During her talk, the audience could immediately sense the great improvements made by the children as well as the other positive benefits beyond an increased reading ability. These effects are achievable, based on a strong supportive structure that comprises the R.E.A.D. dogs, program staff and the educational and medical specialists. Ms. Klotz also showed the activities of R.E.A.D. dogs in youth detention facilities and hospitals. R.E.A.D. is still not well known in Japan so the audience showed a great interest.

Next, Mr. Junichiro YOKOMURO, President of the BAT Rehabilitation Project for Children with Development Diseases, and Representative of the Japan Association of Therapy Dogs for Children with Mental Disabilities spoke about the effects of therapy dogs on children with developmental problems. Such children, on the whole, tend to exhibit behavioral restrictions, often being passive, apathetic or waiting to be told what to do. The role of therapy dogs is to induce spontaneous behavior that cannot be taught by other people. The influence dogs have on the psychology of handicapped children was also stressed. Mr. Yokomuro explained, through the use of case studies, how the therapy dogs working on the handicapped child’s mind can have very apparent effects due an environment where children and therapy dogs can freely express their thoughts, wishes and actions. Mr. Yokomuro also stated his views about guide dogs and assistance dogs as used currently in Japan, inviting us all to consider how such dogs should be used from now on in this country. As his comments were based on real case situations, Mr. Yokomuro’s talk was very convincing and powerful.

The third panelist was Mr. Shigeki NAKAO, Supervisor of the Special Support Education Division of Kobe City’s Board of Education. Mr. Nakao talked about the psychological development of children and the role of animals. He stated that the ‘sense of touch’ is extremely important when considering the mental development of children and this has an influence on their relationship with parents, with other people and their powers of communication. Furthermore, when animals are around, their emotional state can be stabilized. The relaxed state allows them to exhibit their reactions better. Mr. Nakao also explained that, for children, especially emotionally unstable children, animals can provide a sense of security in which they feel ‘unconditionally accepted’. The behavior that parents need to show towards their children was also explained. He had the audience laughing heartily with his comment that, ‘what I also learned from Ms. Klotz’s lecture is that the therapy qualifications the dogs have achieved are just like the ones the educationalists trained for’. On a more serious note, he explained that the volume of information children nowadays receive is incomparably greater than in older times and that their physical development is not keeping in balance with this information avalanche. The imbalance of the mental and physical development is the cause of some big problems that modern children have. This made us think.