Assistance Animal Assessments
Cornwall OT is the only place you can access
animal-assisted therapy with horses and dogs.
Therapy Sessions with Dash our Therapy Dog are available at our office in Bassendean, and Therapy Sessions with the Therapy Horses are available in Wanneroo.
What is Animal-Assisted Therapy?
Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) harnesses the powerful bond between people and animals to enhance therapeutic outcomes. At Cornwall House OT you have access to OT's trained to work with not just therapy dogs but also therapy horses. All animals are assessed as suitable to their role and importantly that they enjoy their role. We incorporate these animals into your Occupational Therapy programs to help clients achieve their personal goals across a range of areas.
What is Animal-Assisted Therapy?
- Gross and Fine Motor Skills – Improve coordination and strength through engaging, animal-focused activities.
- Social Skills – Build communication and interaction abilities in a fun, relaxed setting.
- Emotional Regulation – Learn to manage emotions with the help of calming and supportive animals.
- Handwriting Skills – Strengthen fine motor skills needed for handwriting through guided animal-assisted exercises.
- Sensory Regulation – Develop strategies to cope with sensory processing challenges in a safe and soothing environment.
- Mental Health – Gain confidence and reduce anxiety with the emotional support of therapy animals.
- Daily Living Skills – Learn practical skills like meal planning with the help of animal companions.
- Self-Care Skills – Improve personal care abilities, such as brushing hair and dressing, in a motivating environment with animal involvement.
Animal-Assisted Therapy sessions at Cornwall House OT can be funded through NDIS (as a service provided by Occupational Therapists) or private payment options. Discover the power of the human-animal connection to help you achieve your therapy goals!
Meet Our Therapy Animals
Dash is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel born in 2018, who has been training since he was a puppy to assist people to achieve their goals. He enjoys being with people, receiving attention and sharing his love. While you will find him on 'break' during the warmer months, he operates out of both the Bassendean and Yanchep offices. Dash lives with his 'big-fur-brother' Hunter, and 'big-human-brothers' Lucas and Aiden. Dash also often assists in helping raise Assistance Dogs for the WA Assistance and Therapy Dogs Association (WAAT Dogs). Dash has been welcome at many disability expos, Burswood Perth, Joondalup Resort and many others.
Therapy Horses - we are fortunate to have partnered with a stable in Wanneroo with horses trained specifically to work with people with disabilities. This means we can select the horse to suit the individuals needs. For example - people who have anxiety and need assistance with learning calming behaviours would be most suited to one of our slow/steady horses such as Sijo or Reno. A person who has lots of exuberance, excess energy and perhaps running behaviours would be more suited to a more engaging horse. The OT who runs these sessions has excellent knowledge of each horse and after an initial session will be able to assist in matching you to the horse that suits your needs.
