On Thursday 5^th March, a group of children and staff from Arc School Ansley visited Crufts, the world’s biggest dog show at the NEC in Birmingham. Many of the children are very interested in dogs, especially the school’s therapy dog Barney.

Attending the Crufts show gave them a chance to meet over 200 different dog breeds and learn a little more about them. The children were also given social communication challenges to complete, including asking dog handlers questions, being kind to others, and sharing their feelings. The visit was a huge success, everyone managed the crowds brilliantly, and returned to school sporting many stickers and rosettes they had collected from meeting different breeds in the ‘discover dogs’ section. The social communication targets were all completed, and of course there was also time to choose some treats and a toy to bring back to school for Barney.

Arc School Ansley provides a safe learning environment for children and young people with educational, social and emotional needs associated with their autism such as sensory processing difficulties, communication difficulties and high levels of anxiety.

What a fantastic visit, well done everyone it looked a lot of fun!