At our school we have found that having a dog on staff has many benefits:

• Used as a calming technique
• Used for reinforcing and encouraging positive behavior
• SAssists in special education assessment, especially in functional assessments
• Helps to establish rapport between teacher and new students
• Used to teach children about proper care and respect of all living beings
• Offers acceptance without judgment
• Reinforces our school's "inclusion" philosophy of recognizing and valuing diversity. After all, what is more diverse than having a dog in school?