Meet Colby- Our Newest Staff Member

Posted 02/20/2016

Hello Knapp Families!

I want to introduce myself. My name is Colby. I am a yellow lab, and I’m a certified therapy dog. I spend my time with Karen Hartmann (the Speech Teacher) at Knapp on Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester.

Mrs. Hartmann and her family are my human companions and family. I am from Cody, WY, and they brought me home when I was just 9 weeks old!

As part of therapy dog certification, I first passed my Canine Good Citizen exam where I demonstrated basic good manners.  Then I took the more intensive training to become a therapy dog team, which includes being able to tolerate noise, rough handling, unexpected movements, and medical equipment such as wheelchairs.  Mrs. Hartmann and I passed our exam in July 2015, and are we so glad to be together at Knapp.

 

Students who come to our office at Knapp may interact with me in a variety of ways.  For articulation, for example, students can use target sounds to ask me to do a trick. For example, if the student is working on the “r” sound and correctly asks me to “rollover”, I will ROLLOVER. I am hoping some of our non-verbal kids can be motivated to talk or use their device to request to see me.  Students who need social skills can learn about how to treat others with compassion.  I also hope students who have behavioral needs can earn an incentive to see me. For example, if a student earns enough points in a day, he/she can come visit me at lunch.

 

I am so excited to be a part of the Knapp Staff and help our students reach their full potential!