Dr. Barbara Vokatis discusses innovative education and therapy animal programs - 2025

In this powerful episode of The Contrast Project Lounge Podcast, host Tracy Rigdon sits down with Dr. Barb Vokatis, a professor, literacy expert, and advocate for innovative education and therapy animal programs. 🎙️✨ Dr. Barb shares eye-opening insights on how therapy dogs are breaking barriers in classrooms, helping neurodivergent children, including those with autism, build confidence, enhance communication, and navigate learning in a more inclusive, supportive environment. 💡 What you’ll learn: ✅ How therapy dogs help students overcome learning barriers 🧠📚 ✅ The difference between therapy dogs, service animals, and emotional support animals ✅ Why mental health and learning must go hand-in-hand in education 🌱 ✅ How parents can advocate for therapy animal programs in schools 👏 ✅ The biggest myths holding back animal-assisted education 🚧 🚀 Dr. Barb also shares her personal journey as a parent advocate and how her podcast, Get Inspired with Dr. Barb, is helping educators rethink learning. 📢 Don’t miss this transformative conversation, hit play now! 🎧 🎙️ The Contrast Project Lounge Podcast: Random. Relevant. Real. 🎙️Thank you for tuning in to today's episode! We're here to challenge your perspectives, spark meaningful conversations, and maybe even make you laugh along the way.🚀 Don't Miss Out on Future Episodes!Hit that SUBSCRIBE button now on YouTube and Spotify to join our growing community of free thinkers. Your voice matters here! 🌟 Engage With Us:

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