Is Dolphin Assisted Therapy Beneficial For Special Needs Children? Essay

Additionally, even when animal-assisted therapy is done by volunteers, the required facility staff can make it a drain on resources. By comparison, beta fish and their small tanks are inexpensive and require little attention by staff. By assigning fish to individual participants, they are able to spend a lot of time in the presence of their fish and feel a sense of ownership and even companionship. Additionally, the researcher hopes that the responsibility of feeding their fish will foster a sense of autonomy and self-sufficiency for participants. Researchers will record the weight of all participants, and administer the geriatric depression scale (GDS) and the Mini mental state evaluation (MMSE) to all participants. These instruments will target three areas of quality of life as identified by the researcher: physical well-being, mood and mental health, and cognitive functioning.

method of therapy Thrive horticultural therapists build a set of activities for each gardener to improve their particular health needs, this type of therapy benefits people by helping them recover and find their way again, learn new skills, and slow down degenerative illness of the mind to some degree, Nature arts and crafts, art activities using natural materials such as wood, glass, and clay. Clay and wood being the two most commonly used due to their easy workability, Animal assisted therapy (AAT), Animal assisted interventions (AAI), and Care Farming are three types of animal assisted therapy. This type of therapy is usually for children who have been diagnosed with physical, emotional, social or learning disabilities. “Therapy provided through tasks and activities necessary to run farms, gardens, landscapes or ranches is not by any means new to this millennium's repertoire of interventions for children.”(occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com), Wilderness therapy, is “cognitive behavioral therapy to combat negative thinking, journaling to help shed light on depression and anxiety, and group activities to overcome social phobia and develop greater self-confidence, to name a few.”(apa.org) this type of therapy has been around since 1886 but it wasn’t considered therapy

For a number of children with autism having a companion dog is the difference between life and death. Methodically trained guide dogs help create an environment where autistic children are comfortable enough to live a more ordinary lifestyle. Autism spectrum disorder is a major public health problem that is the most common neurological disorder affecting 1 out of every 110 births in the US (Autism Society, 2009). ASDs can range in severity from Asperger Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism where the child can function relatively well in society, to autistic disorder or classical ASD, which severely inhibits the child’s ability to socialize or communicate (NINDS). Autism manifests itself most strikingly as impairments in formation of

The documentary Blackfish was debuted by CNN in 2013, shortly after the death of SeaWorlds’ orca trainer Dawn Brancheau. That, and other strange “accidental” deaths, brought up a controversial issue debating whether or not seaworld is telling the truth or just covering it up. In the film, director Gabriela Cowperthwaite reveals the problems within the sea-park industry, human relationship to nature, and how little has been learned about these highly intellectual

In Pink Sheep’s house, Homie Dolphin was playing video games and eating burritos and Mountain Dew. When these two guys were too focused on the games a hater broke in the house and took their supplies to burritos and Mountain Dew. On his way out he took Homie Dolphin’s gold necklace worth a trillion dollars.

By discussing Ric’s many years of work with capturing and training dolphins, the movie gives the impression that he is an expert in his field. By giving Ric the status as an expert, the audience is given the idea that the statements Ric makes about how dolphins are self-aware and his activist work Ric does can be trusted. “Dolphins are free range and intelligent animals that belong in the ocean, not playing the clown in our human schemes” Ric says as to simplify his understanding of the creature he helps. Through this new found trust and the presentation of facts from an expert, people are inspired to change the morally incorrect industry. As a way to play off of the new desire to help, the movie presents an emotionally stimulating event that Ric experienced in his

Though there was not a specific hypothesis, it can be concluded that a general hypothesis for the study was if children that have ASD have a service dog, will they have behavior benefits, which is considered to be true. This journal withholding an impact factor of 4.704 is deemed as very informational. Because this study didn’t hurt or deceive anyone, it is deemed as ethical. The data collected within this study can be beneficial to those who have children with ASD; they can simply learn how to make their child’s life easier and less complicated by providing them with a service

Who does not love to see dolphins and whales flipping and doing tricks? Although the animals look happy and unharmed, there is a dark truth behind the captive marine life in amusement parks and zoos. Yes, attending zoos and marine life amusement parks are a part of childhood; but recently researchers have discovered just how cruel the environment is for the marine life in captivity. After studies of comparing the quality of life of marine animals in the wild and in captivity, there are multiple examples shown in Blackfish, PETA, and the Animal Welfare Institute that show that animals prosper and live longer in their natural

I am like a Bottlenose Dolphin. In nature, Bottlenose Dolphins are known for their advance thought processing, communication skills, sense of curiosity, and open minds. Like a Bottlenose Dolphin, I have all the same attributes that make me a distinct student and individual. To the advanced mind of a Bottlenose Dolphin, the ocean is its domain that it can mature in and mold in the way it pleases. For me, the entire earth is my domain to mature in and to mold. The unique way I want to shape the future of the world is by becoming a biomedical engineer and using what I have learned during my studies to change the world of biomedicine. I will use my dolphin like attributes to aid me in reaching my goal. Once I become a biomedical engineer I will surely have accomplished my goal in life and hopefully will be well on my way to changing others way of life..

Animal-assisted interventions can also be integrated into existing models of treatment for ASD by using animals for components that traditionally target sensory and affective arousal (Berry et al., 2013). The Denver Model is a therapy technique used by occupational therapists that integrates applied behavioral analysis with treatments to target developmental and relationship deficits, which also includes interventions to treat sensory issues. They suggest that therapy dogs are suitable for integration in this model because they provide a multisensory stimulus that incorporates an emotional bond and a sensory experience. The authors also recognize that because of the variances in symptoms of children diagnosed with ASD, highly individualized treatment programs must be created to accommodate multiple levels of sensory sensitivity. More research is needed to determine how children with different levels of sensory sensitivity respond to different animal therapies, potentially though using a comparative study. Perhaps children who are hypersensitive would respond better to an intervention with a dog, rather than a horse. Overall, available research indicates that therapy dogs are also a potential method for providing sensory experiences for children with

The death of Dawn Brancheau made national news back in 2010. Dawn was working as an orca trainer at the SeaWorld of Orlando when the tragic accident occurred. While doing a relationship session with Tilikum, the largest orca in captivity, Dawn was pulled into the water and drowned. It was a story that not only shocked the nation but left people wondering how something so horrible could happen. Gabriela Cowperthwaite‘s use of the accounts of retired SeaWorld trainers exposed the harsh reality of captured animals in her documentary Blackfish. In creating a piece focused on the life of one orca, Cowperthwaite has allowed viewers to look into the lives of captured animals and has shown the greater social issue of animal rights, the treatment

In the article “Hunted For Fun, Left to Die” the author, Lauren Tarshis, stated that Hardy Jones and the World Society for the Protection of Animals or the WSPA took important steps to save the two dolphins Nica and Blue Fields. When Hardy Jones and the WSPA first found the dolphins they were in a pool filled with their own excrement, starving, terrified, and weak. They quickly reacted by making an attempt to stabilize the dolphins. In the introduction the author claims that with nutrient filled fish and soothing words, the team calmed the dolphins and could begin the journey that would save their lives. Hardy Jones and the team put the dolphins in slings and hoisted them up from the toxic pool. It took eight men to carry the dolphins

Animal-assisted therapy is the inclusion of an animal in treatment for a therapeutic purpose, such as a child having a trained therapy dog that serves much like a service dog for the blind (Velde, B. P., Cipriani, J., & Fisher, G., 2005). Animal-assisted activities (AAA) are not individually designed, goal-oriented, or led by a trained professional and include activities like equine-assisted activity, classroom animals, or companion animals (Evans & Gray, 2011). Despite the increasing commonality of animal-assisted interventions, there is a disagreement about the effectiveness of these practices. Supporters of animal-assisted interventions cite anecdotal evidence and findings from several research studies, whereas others assert that these interventions are not supported by quality research and are not ethically sound. However, there is little discussion on which animal-assisted interventions support the most optimal outcomes for particular children with ASD and the specific symptoms they are

The Vancouver Aquarium houses dolphins and belugas, animals that undoubtedly experience various elements of life. Belugas and dolphins are able to communicate, can experience pain, are conscious, can make connections and develop relationships. We can assume that the animals were forced to live in a small surrounding and in isolation, which in turn could affect their emotional, physical, and psychological state. They are removed from their natural habitat, separated from the rest of their species, exploited, and deprived of their freedom. Being in captivity, the belugas and dolphins are not allowed to breed naturally and thus have limited sexual activity (Vancouver Aquarium). We can also assume that the well being of an animal or a living thing should not be compromised for the sake of frivolous endeavours such as entertainment and generating financial gains.

There is something about dolphins that fascinates me. They are some of the most intelligent and beautiful animals that I have ever seen. Their faces are so cute that every time I look at a dolphin it looks like it is smiling at me and wants to tell me something. The noises they make represent some kind of language and it makes me wonder if they can really communicate. I also want to know what kind of feeling they have and whether they have emotions. This is why I chose to do this I-search project on dolphins; the different kinds of dolphins there are, the places that they can be found and their mental abilities.