If you’ve picked up a copy of our September issue, you may remember Hope, a rather lovable labradoodle who assists children with autism at Lakewood’s Therapeutic Movements.
Lake Highlands’ Campbell Polito has worked with Hope for about five months. She accompanies the preteen on trips to the grocery store and Starbucks. There, he practices interacting with strangers and decision-making skills. But sometimes Hope isn’t even the focus of the therapy session; she’s there for moral support.
Take this exercise, for instance, where therapist Dalton Pfiffner is helping Campbell practice waiting, hand-eye coordination, play skills, social skills and ideation.
His mother, Sunny, is impressed with the progress her son has made over the past few years, especially since doctors initially said Campbell would never walk, speak or develop relationships.
“Our journey has been about ‘let’s prove them wrong,’ ” Sunny said.
