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Special Education In Juvenile Residential Facilities: Can Animals Help?, Sally E. Thigpen, Stephanie K. Ellis, Rebecca G. Smith

Essays in Education

Children with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) are arguably one of the highest at-risk groups for dropping out before graduating high school. They are the group of students with disabilities who are most likely to be educated in residential facilities. Residential facilities such as Green Chimneys have incorporated animals into the treatment milieu with success. Animals have been used in various settings to improve the quality of life as well as the emotional and physical needs of people served by these facilities. This article describes the requirements for using animals in residential treatment, the limitations of such programs, and the research findings …