FINAL PROJECT:
Option 6: Explore and Build an Instructional Product of your Choosing
www.tweethearts.org

GUIDELINE:
With a focus on your anticipated future teaching job, use the practices and strategies learned in this class to develop a sophisticated instructional product that would support your future students, including those students with disabilities and other diverse learning needs.

IDENTIFY AN IDEA FOR DEVELOPMENT:
Avian-Assisted Intervention

INSTRUCTIONAL PRODUCT:
Utilizing Conures (small parrots) to work directly with students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Intellectual Disabilities, including students with significant trauma and PTSD and TBI-related disabilities, to facilitate social skills development and minimize negative and/or unwanted behaviors and decrease elopement and isolation behaviors.

BENEFITS OF AVIAN-ASSISTED INTERVENTION:
Avian-Assisted Intervention has many benefits well-rooted not only in scientific research and data but also rooted within practice. Implementation of Animal-Assisted Intervention, to include Avian-Assisted Intervention shows positive outcomes and impacts when utilized with individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety, Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, and Depression [capitalized for emphasis]. Avian-Assisted Intervention provides several significant benefits identified both medically and scientifically, to the populations in which it is implemented, including an increase in social interactions, facilitating social skills interventions, reducing emotional arousal and anger, it triggers positive physiological changes, increases serotonin and endorphins and oxytocin production, reduces baseline cortisol levels, improves blood flow in people experiencing heart failure and reduces blood pressure.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PLAN:
The product development plan for this Instructional Product has been a work in progress for several months. The development plan for this Instruction Product began as a paper focused on a social skills intervention for students with emotional/behavioral disorders. That paper formed the foundation for this Instructional Product, which became a website and a registered educational not-for-profit organization. The Instructional Product was then implemented in multiple school districts over the past school year, as the website continued to expand with updated information over the course of the Instructional Product being implemented. Over the Summer Semester at the University of Kansas while taking SPED 841, the website continued to be developed and was updated, and the Instructional Product was implemented at Cascade Christian Schools, Tacoma Metro Parks and Tacoma Public Schools, Right at School, and The Boys and Girls Club of America.

DEVELOP A PRODUCT:
The Instructional Product developed is an educational not-for-profit organization registered in the State of Montana, which recognizes parrots as service animals, something truly important to the implementation of this specific product which relies on parrots and their interactions and benefits to and for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Intellectual Disabilities, including PTSD and TBI (other disorders outlined under Instructional Product and Benefits of Avian-Assisted Intervention). The organization is called Tweethearts. The website is www.tweethearts.org. Over the past 12 months Tweethearts has partnered with several local school districts in the State of Washington, as well as with several private schools, and clubs and programs that support students and children, such as Right at School, The Boys and Girls Club of America, and Tacoma Metro Parks. Tweethearts has also sponsored and supported other avian-related organizations such as The American Bird Conservancy, The Audubon Society, The American Ornithological Society, and Avian Welfare. Tweethearts has plans to reach out to The Musk Foundation and seek support and possibly financial grants to expand the Instructional Product to benefit for individuals with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder who benefit greatly from interactions and interventions with parrots.

You can learn more about Tweethearts at the organization’s website: www.tweethearts.org.

NOTE: This Instructional Product does not have a supporting video to document its development as it has developed over a longer period of time than just the time allotted during this course. The website does digitally document the development of the evidence-based practice, the research and science behind it, and outlines its implications and documents its implementation.


SCHOLARLY LITERATURE:

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Araujo, T. B., Oliveira, R. J., Martins, W. R., Moura Pereira, M., Copetti, F., & Safons, M. P. (2013). Effects of hippotherapy on mobility, strength and balance in elderly. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 56(3), 478–481.

Araujo, T. B., Silva, N. A., Costa, J. N., Pereira, M. M., & Safons, M. P. (2011). Effect of equine-assisted therapy on the postural balance of the elderly. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 15(5), 414–419.

Banks, M. R., & Banks, W. A. (2002). The effects of animal-assisted therapy on loneliness in an elderly population in long-term care facilities. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 57(7), M428–M432.

Barak, Y., Savorai, O., Mavashev, S., & Beni, A. (2001). Animal-assisted therapy for elderly schizophrenic patients: A one-year controlled trial. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 9(4), 439–442.

Berry, A., Borgi, M., Terranova, L., Chiarotti, F., Alleva, E., & Cirulli, F. (2012). Developing effective animal-assisted intervention programs involving visiting dogs for institutionalized geriatric patients: A pilot study. Psychogeriatrics, 12(3), 143–150.

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Bono, A. V., Benvenuti, C., Buzzi, M., Ciatti, R., Chiarelli, V., Chiambretto, R., … Valença, E. (2015). Effects of animal assisted therapy (AAT) carried out with dogs on the evolution of mild cognitive impairment. Giornale Di Gerontologia, 63(1), 32–36.

Charry-Sanchez, J.D., et al. Animal-assisted therapy in adults: A systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. August 2018; Volume 32: 169-180.

Churchill, M., Safaoui, J., McCabe, B. W., & Baun, M. M. (1999). Using a therapy dog to alleviate the agitation and desocialization of people with Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 37(4), 16–22.

Fine, A. H., Beck, A. M., & Ng, Z. (2019). The state of animal-assisted interventions: Addressing the contemporary issues that will shape the future. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(20), 3997.

Friedmann, E., Thoma, S. A., Cook, L. K., Tsai, C. C., & Picot, S. J. (2007). A friendly dog as potential moderator of cardiovascular response to speech in older hypertensives. Anthrozoos, 20(1), 51–63.

Gresham, F. (2015). Evidence-based social skills interventions for students at risk for EBD. Remedial and Special Education, 36(2), 100-104.
Hutchins, N. S., Burke, M. D., Bowman-Perrott, L., Tarlow, K. R., & Hatton, H. (2020). The effects of social skills interventions for students with EBD and ASD: A single-case meta-analysis. Behavior Modification, 44(5), 773-794.

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Harris, M. D., Rinehart, J. M., & Gerstman, J. (1993). Animal-assisted therapy for the homebound elderly. Holistic nursing practice, 8(1), 27–37.

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Jessen, J., Cardiello, F., & Baun, M. M. (1996). Avian companionship in alleviation of depression, loneliness, and low morale of older adults in skilled rehabilitation units. Psychological Reports, 78(1), 339–348.

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Kauffman, J. M., & Landrum, T. J. (2018). Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders of children and Youth. Pearson.

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Kil, T., Yoon, K. A., Ryu, H., & Kim, M. (2019). Effect of group integrated intervention program combined animal-assisted therapy and integrated elderly play therapy on live alone elderly. Journal of Animal Science Technology, 61(6), 379.

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Lane, K. L., Oakes, W.P., Magill, L. (2014). Primary prevention efforts: How do we implement and monitor the Tier 1 component of our comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) model? Preventing School Failure, 58(3), 143-158.

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