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Many students spend their summers hitting
the Atlantic waters and some even swim with dolphins, but few get college
credit for doing so. Ferrum College senior and Social Work major Amber
Lagasse recently completed a one-month internship with Island Dolphin
Care in Key Largo, Fla. Lagasse used her time in the water to learn
how dolphins can have therapeutic value for children.
Island Dolphin Care is a non-profit organization,
which helps children with speech and movement problems by providing
dolphin-assisted therapy for the children and their families. The one-week
program supplements conventional, institutional therapy.
Lagasse, who is also minoring in psychology,
says she was always fascinated by dolphins and was amazed by their therapeutic
affect on children suffering from illnesses such as cerebral palsy as
well as debilitating injuries.
“The dolphins are a way to motivate
the children to work at their therapy. The children are so happy to
be in the water with the dolphins that they don’t realize that
their stretching and struggle to ‘talk to’ the dolphins is
the same hard work that they sometimes resent in their usual therapy
sessions at home,” explains Lagasse.
“The whole family participates and
are there to cheer on their special child as they work hard to play
and interact with the dolphins,’ says Lagasse.
Lagasse is a 1998 graduate of West Potomac
High School and resides in Alexandria.
Island Dolphin Care offers a scholarship
program for families who need assistance in paying for a one-week visit.
It also works with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to fulfill the wishes
of terminally ill children. Program costs for Make-A-Wish children are
paid for by donations to the Foundation and/or to Island Dolphin Care.
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Related websites: www.islanddolphincare.com
and www.ferrum.edu.
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