Supporting Families with Disabled Children

"My best experience at the New Kupferhof so far was the encounter with an autistic boy who didn`t like dogs. My dog Luke noticed immediatley that the boy couldn´t tolerate eye contact and that the boy preferred to keep his distance.

So, Luke turned his back on him at an appropriate distance and wagged his tail. He came back to the boy again and again after visiting the other kids. Luke did not give up but did not impose. After about half an hour the boy imitated the movement of the tail by wagging his sleeve. Then, after a while, the boy actually ran to Luke and stroked him. That was a big achievement for this boy. And Luke has intuitively applied the right strategy, "says Anke Wolf, Luke's dog handler.  She adds: "Luke and I have been coming to the New Kupferhof regularly since November 2017 and we both love these lessons very much."

It is also Anette Bethge and her dog Ayla, who are already "old hands" at the New Kupferhof. The special thing about both dogs: They do not know any performance thinking, they just want to be there and help in their own way.

Together with their dog handlers, the four-legged friends must complete a comprehensive training. Anette Bethge and Anke Wolf, for example, also learned how to "read" their dogs. Only if they are able to interpret their condition correctly at any time, it is ensured that humans and dogs can optimally help the little guests in the New Kupferhof. "If at the end of our lessons the children dare to stroke Ayla or go with her on a leash, the joy on both sides is always huge," is how Anette Bethge describes her assignments, which are an integral part of the weekly program in the New Kupferhof.

After wake up between 7.00 and 7.30 am the kids get washed and dressed for breakfast. Breakfast, like all meals, is taken with the group in the dining room. Breakfast time is from 8.00 to 9.30 am.

At about 10.00 am the kids gather for the daily morning circle to start the day with a morning song: a ritual that brings the children together and signifies the start of the day.

Until lunch (from 12.00 to 1.00 pm) there is time for walks, excursions, time to make music or to play in or outside, leisure time or time for therapy. The nature-near location of Kupferhof and its facilities assure varied activities.

After lunch and a short rest time the kids are well prepared for the afternoon program, only interrupted by afternoon tea at 3 pm. A team of clowns visit Kupferhof regularly as well as therapy dogs. Other planned projekts may be baking, painting, crafting or excursions or.....

Between 5.30 and 7.00 pm the kids gather again in the dining room for dinner.

Afterwards day will be completed with another daily ritual, the evening circle.

Then the children are prepared to get ready for bed. Again the care staff tries to follow individual bed time rituals.

Although this daily schedule sounds like an constantly repeating tight time schedule every day is different. All children are treated differently due to their disabilities or abilities or their mood, their wishes or individual rituals. So some children may play in the garden, while others have fun inside and again others get special therapy .Nevertheless the children are encouraged to spend time and to do things together because this promotes their social and pysical skills.

One reason why the kids have meals together.

Our primary goal is to enable all our guests (disabled children, parents and siblings) a few enjoyable days in relaxing surroundings.