Animal-assisted therapy AAT and emotional support animals
Each being experiences positive results from the attention received from the other, according to studies between horses and humans and between humans and dogs. Some of the potential risks of animal-assisted therapy may include risk of injury, infection, and allergies. There are many steps practitioners, handlers, and individuals can take to reduce these risks while enjoying the many potential benefits of animal therapy. Many therapy sessions involving horses within the United States involve providing primary care for the horse, such as brushing and feeding it. As clients connect with a horse, they may feel a bond, which may help with loneliness or sadness. Research also supports that pet therapy can enhance communication skills, especially in children and individuals with developmental disabilities.
What is AAT/AAA?
For children with autism, interacting with animals can enhance communication skills and build social skills. Each brings unique benefits to therapy sessions, supporting various needs and preferences of clients. Dr. Boris Levinson, a child psychologist, first noticed its benefits when his dog helped engage a nonverbal child during therapy sessions. Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a therapeutic intervention that uses animals to help people with a range of physical, mental, emotional, and social challenges.
Sessions might include stroking, touching, watching, grooming, washing or feeding the animal. Your therapist acts as a facilitator to help you explore and understand the feelings coming out of your interaction with the animals. Your therapy might involve cats, dogs, chickens, guinea pigs, horses, pigs – or even fish or birds. Adults may also benefit from animal-assisted therapy in various environments.
- Dogs are most often used, although various animal-assisted programs offer different animals for people with different physical and emotional needs.
- The size and location of the facility as well as the patient population are important factors to consider.
- A wide variety of animals can assist individuals in psychotherapy, and some may need to exercise caution around some animals.
Scientists and practitioners must be more tempered and realistic in their explanations of the efficacy of AAI, especially since the scientific evidence is still not strong enough to support such high convictions. The Mayo Clinic has the Caring Canines program, for example, that allows therapy dogs to make visits to various hospital departments. Patients can request a therapy dog visit when they need a little stress reduction during their hospital stay. As more and more medical providers recognize the animal assisted therapy benefits listed above, more facilities are implementing programs.
They’re not service animals
The unique aspect of Schuck’s work was the development and application of a specific protocol incorporating canine assisted interventions. One of the recommendations from O’Haire’s work was the need to provide detailed information with regard to procedures so that independent research teams could continue to validate the efficacy of protocols 47. This is now being done by more practitioners to try to disseminate the work being incorporated. For example, Schuck is working on completing the PACK manual, which details the procedures and the training necessary to incorporate AAI with children with ADHD in clinical settings. Therefore, it is critical that we ensure the health and welfare of these beings in all aspects of AAI.
Today’s area of focus is autism 44,45,46, depression, trauma 47, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 48, all emerging health and economic challenges to society. Regardless of the area of study, there is a need for establishing methods and standards for AAI studies 49,50,51. Rehabilitation centers may partner with therapy animals and their handlers to help patients achieve faster rehab and get home more quickly. The presence of therapy animals motivates patients to work harder in their rehab activities, whether that is counseling-related or physical therapy.
4. The Future of Animal Welfare in AAI
When someone is dealing with a serious medical or mental health condition, they face a significant amount of stress. Animals bring comfort to people, and spending time with animals can make healing faster and easier. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy is an effective, relatively safe treatment for depression and other mental health issues. Although there are no set standards covering all animal-assisted therapy, some therapists will belong to organisations that have specific ethical or training requirements. For example, Sarah has signed up to Social Farms and Gardens’ code of practice, which has robust requirements of its members. She’s also on a new register for equine assisted therapy practitioners called The Human-Equine Interaction Register (HEIR), which is run what is benzo belly by Horses in Therapy and Education International (HETI).
If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or are in an urgent crisis, please avoid using this site. Instead, seek immediate assistance from these hotlines, which offer worldwide support. Obtaining certification usually involves completing a specialized training program and passing an examination. Challenges may involve allergies, fear of animals, and the current setting or facility limitations. Measuring the outcomes of AAT programs is critical to determine their efficacy. A structured intervention plan is essential for achieving desired therapeutic outcomes.