During Pet Therapy sessions, it's awfully hard these days to tell who's more delighted: elementary-aged students pumped about seeing dogs or the dogs enthralled with the idea of playing with pint-sized students. The students in Amy Yancey's alternative curriculum class at Dunn Elementary played host to Deacon the gentle giant of a golden retriever and the playfully cool Leroy Brown the bulldog on Friday, the last of a kind of three-school tour sponsored by Arlington Animal Services.

Pet Therapy isn't just fun and games for kids and their four-legged friends. The games are designed to improve communication and social skills for kids who have a difficult time with both. Following such sessions, children suffering from various forms of autism are often more playful in general, happier and more focused when around someone's pet.

"They are totally engaged. Totally," said Dunn Special Education Instructor Amy Yancey. "They are making eye contact, their verbal skills are coming out, and they are using their listening skills because they want to be with the dogs.

"It's just a good way for us to connect back when we're in the classroom because we will use it all year along. Remember when you were listening when you wanted a turn with Leroy? They remember. Years, down the road. It's pretty amazing. It's a great way for them to be totally engaged to build on the skills they need."

Burgin and Corey elementary schools were the first two this year to have the sessions. Dunn was slated for April, National Autism Month.

Arlington's Pet Therapy began four years ago when Yancey contacted Animal Services Center Manager Chris Huff about bringing dogs to the classroom to see how the children would react.

Yancey knew about the profound impact structured contact with animals could have on some children with autism, that such an interaction offered both physical and emotional benefits.

"It went so well the first time we've been coming back every year," said Huff. "And as other schools found out about it, they wanted to be involved as well. So it's really expanded."

To start, Huff had the students pet the dog of their choice, allowing them to stroke the dog along their back 10 times. Then they headed outside, where some of the students got a chance to actually walk the dog, holding on to the leash and guiding them several feet.

"Ms. Yancey is really good about telling me what she's working on at the time," said Huff, who has become quite the skilled instructor. "We knew she was working on patience, so I just tried to implement what she needs her class to move forward on."

Huff said they are now getting requests outside of schools.

"The dogs are amazing," she said. "I'm really selective about which dogs I bring. These dogs are just so good with kids with disabilities. It really works."