Lessons with Longears
These miniature donkeys are helping teach big lessons.
Dogs and horses may be the typical stars of most animal-assisted therapy programs, but at the Latham Centers residential program for adults with disabilities, it’s donkeys who are changing lives.
The Massachusetts-based organization provides care and support for those with complex special needs and specializes in serving adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS)—a genetic disorder that can cause developmental disabilities, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and an insatiable appetite that can lead to obesity. These challenges require individuals with PWS to constantly exercise remarkable self-control in order to lead healthy, positive lives.
In 2008, Latham Centers discovered an unlikely ally for those with PWS: miniature donkeys. Dr. Janice Forster, a renowned neuropsychiatrist and expert in PWS treatment, suggested the idea to Latham Centers based on the success of donkey-assisted therapy programs in Germany. Within a year, Latham Centers purchased a residential home with property for livestock in East Sandwich, Massachusetts, and adopted six miniature donkeys. Although the donkeys did not come to the center with formal therapy training, they were gentle, friendly, and up to the task. After a few months of training by Latham Centers donkey trainer Kristiane Thompson, the longears proved they would shine in their new roles as therapy animals.
Each participant’s journey through the donkey program begins with one-on-one donkey interaction until Thompson feels the resident is comfortable enough to join the program’s six-week training course. During this “Donkey 101” course, students learn how to safely interact with and care for the donkeys. Graduates of the course can then participate in daily feeding, grooming, cleaning, and even training activities.
Latham Centers residents have flourished in the program. The donkeys’ calm, engaging personalities put the participants at ease and enable them to practice new skills in a judgment-free environment. For example, convincing sometimes-stubborn donkeys to follow them through an obstacle course helps residents develop important abilities in patience, perseverance, and relationship-building. Patrice Carroll, the director of PWS services at Latham Centers, says, “As our individuals learn to nurture and encourage the donkeys to become more compliant, they are strengthening their own ability to self-regulate their emotions and behavior.”
The triumph of accomplishing a challenge that requires patience and teamwork—skills that can be difficult for those with PWS—is evident on the faces of residents as they lead their donkeys over a series of logs and
Latham Centers’ schools and residences serve children and adults with intellectual disabilities, complex special needs, and behavioral challenges. Since 2009, their unique donkey-assisted therapy program has trained dozens of adult residents with Prader-Willi Syndrome to care for and nurture six resident donkeys, helping build trust and selfesteem while also teaching empathy, responsibility, and appropriate boundaries. Learn more at lathamcenters.org/ donkey-therapy.
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Read more stories of hope and healing through horses at hopeinthesaddle.com.
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