Published Works
Books by Dr. Barb
From the transformative power of therapy dogs in education to the courageous journey of parenting through autism, Dr. Barb's books blend lived experience with practical insight to inspire and empower readers.
Unshakable: Parenting through Autism with Love, Courage, and Purpose
Unshakable: Parenting through autism with love, courage, and purpose is a heartfelt and courageous book written by a mother of an autistic child—who is also an educator and therapy dog partner. Woven through nearly two decades of lived experience, it offers moments of profound struggle and unexpected joy, alongside insight shaped by the journey and practical guidance for parents. More than a personal story, this book is a call to action—a passionate vision for reimagining how we see autism and how we serve autistic children in our schools and communities. It is a journey of love, advocacy, and the unshakable belief that every child deserves to be truly seen, supported, and celebrated.
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Carmel Goes to School
Carmel goes to school is a story about a goldendoodle Carmel and her adventure as a school therapy dog. As she visits a group of children one day, she notices that a child struggles with being kind to others. In response to the situation, in her own unique and magic way, she helps the student in seeing another child’s uniqueness as an amazing asset.
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Teachers and Therapy Dog Teams: Innovative Collaborations to Make a Difference for Children
If you are a parent, teacher, or school administrator who is wondering how to improve both well-being and education for children, this book is for you. It is also for therapy dog teams looking for novel ideas on how to incorporate their therapy dogs in the classroom. We are inviting you to read it to see what can be achieved in the classroom when therapy dog teams and teachers work collaboratively and creatively. We explain the nature of this unique collaboration in detail, provide evidence of its benefits, and include lesson plans in the area of language arts, math, and beyond that incorporate therapy dogs and can be implemented immediately in teaching to increase children’s engagement, lower anxiety, improve social and emotional skills, help in writing, math, and more.
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From Unruly to Therapy Dog: The Amazing Journey (My Amazing Therapy Dog)
Have you wondered how your dog can become a therapy dog? This book details our journey to becoming a therapy dog team from unruly behavior to training that ultimately led to passing a therapy dog test and to spreading joy and love in facilities accepting therapy dogs. It is also about perseverance and discovering something new and amazing about your dog, yourself, your bond with your dog, and what type of unimaginable impact pet therapy has on others.
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The Amazing Power of Dog Therapy: How My Therapy Dog Transformed Children’s Learning (My Amazing Therapy Dog)
If you would like to know what dog therapy visits in educational settings might look like and how such visits can transform children’s learning, this book is a must read. In addition, multiple voices speak in it: the author (therapy dog handler) and teachers. If you are a parent, this book will inspire you to advocate for including more therapy dogs in schools. If you are a teacher, this book will inspire you to invite therapy dogs to your classroom.
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