ANIMAL lovers will know that sometimes cuddling a pet can make you feel better when it’s not easy to talk to the people around you.

Maybe taking the dog for a walk can help clear stress, or holding a cat or even a hamster or rabbit on your knee can release tension.

Sometimes people even talk to their animals as well - often when not in earshot of other dog walkers - knowing they won’t judge them for whatever they say or how they say it.

Staff at Lylac Ridge farm in Risca are making use of this natural inclination by using animals to help children who might struggle to express themselves.

Their animal activity sessions involve working with animals such as horses and dogs to learn skills like personal care, and to help with speech and language.

Children with autism or learning difficulties can benefit from spending time with the animals as part of a Big Lottery-funded project using the natural connection between animals and humans.

By thinking about the care animals need from humans they can link relationships with everyday events and emotions - and transfer the skills to issues the young person may need to control such as anger management and behavioural issues.

Some children with difficulties like Asperger’s, ADHD or dyspraxia may struggle with self care, but working with the animals can build skills like personal hygiene as they learn about how animals need care such as grooming.

The 21-acre farm houses animals ranging from the everyday, like dogs, ducks and chickens, to kune kune pigs, peacocks, alpacas and reindeer.

As well as helping out with nativities and at local agricultural shows, sometimes the farm hosts whole classes of children from local primary schools, like Risca Primary, Duffryn, Pantside, Cwmfelin, Ynnysdu and Tyn y Wern, to learn about the animals.

Staff also work with the local job centre to help people looking for work to learn skills, and they put on clubs for children to learn about animal care.

Many more people benefit from the centre through volunteering, getting skills they can use in a future job or just because they enjoy the work. There are currently 40 volunteers on the register.

Jakki Raynel, of Risca, is business manager of the centre and explained how some of the sessions can help children learn about caring for themselves. “Grooming donkeys can help with personal hygiene,” she said as an example. “We ask, ‘Why do animals groom themselves? Why do they roll in mud?’ And we integrate social skills with these animals.

"For example, donkeys won’t work with anyone who is angry. We had one young lad who said, ‘I’m upset the donkeys won’t come near me’. When he started to channel his anger, they understood he wasn’t going to burst out at any moment and he started grooming them.”

She added: “Some children don’t want to talk but they will cwtch up to a goat and tell them everything.”

Learning about how animals interact with each other can also be a useful learning tool, she said.

“Animals are very community based. Everybody has a little job to do, and it’s using that mentality to help people, showing them how animals fit in their packs. Apart from the reindeer here, every animal interacts with each other.”

Working with the animals can also help people build a better relationships with their own pet, Ms Raynel said. What’s important is that people let their pet be a pet and don't try to humanise them, she said.

Julie Holden, education manager at the centre, leads sessions with the animals.

She has seen first hand the effect sessions can have on building children’s self esteem and language skills.

Autism in particular can make children feel isolated, she said, because it can lead to them being ostracised at school due to difficulties learning social skills and dealing with changes to routine.

“It’s not like a physical illness; you can’t see it,” Julie said. “People can think they are just being rude but they find it very difficult to communicate with others.”

Working with animals can help them build self esteem and learn communication skills, such as sharing with others.

“It’s a fact that when you work with animals your blood pressure lowers, so children become less stressed”, she said. “It’s a calming influence.”

Seeing how people benefit from the sessions is a great motivator, she said.

“At the beginning of the programme, one six-year-old did not say a word,” she said. “By Christmas, he was calling the dog’s name, he was smiling and saying words, which is a fantastic level of achievement.”

Parents and siblings of children can also be involved in the sessions so that the whole family benefits.

Sessions might involve feeding, grooming or checking the animal for any health problems.

“I can’t believe what a difference it makes to children’s lives,” Julie said. “Working here is the first time I have worked with animals and children and it’s amazing. I love it here.”

To learn more about Lylac Ridge, visit http://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/project/lylac-ridge-animal-learning-centre or go to www.lylacridge.org.uk.