Personal Characteristics Of Animal Assisted Therapy

Unlike the regulations set forth in Massachusetts defining service animals, emotional support animals are not limited to dogs. Federal law allows any animal to accompany individuals with disabilities in both residential settings and in air travel as long as the individual is in possession of an emotional support animal letter in MA and as long as that individual does not compromise the safety of others or their property. This is part of the “reasonable accommodation” as set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Animal-based therapy provides many benefits for individuals with a disability. When assisting individuals with disabilities it is important to consider all options that will help them achieve the most success in life. Deciding which therapies to use is often difficult and should be decided on by the individual, their doctors, therapist, and family. Any drawbacks will need to be weighed against the advantages to ensure the course of treatment will be effective and appropriate for the individual. Revisions may need to be considered for the patient along the treatment path. Of the many types of therapies available, it is important to look at the benefits of animal assisted therapy. Individuals with disabilities who are routinely engaged in companion animal therapy develop a greater range of social skills than those who are not involved in any form of therapeutic animal-based therapy.

This can result in certain malpractices” (7). Hens agrees therapy dogs may help those feeling emotionally unstable, but at the same time argues that these dogs experience the same hardships during treatments.

One anxiety disorder that contains trauma related thoughts, negative moods, and alterations in arousal such as anger or hypervigilance is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This disorder has been classified to have high rates of depression and substances abuse. According to Glintborg and Hansen (2017), Adults experiencing PTSD are one of the most difficult populations to treat and have up to a 50 percent chance of dropping out of treatment. However, a new therapeutic approach researchers are now exploring is animal treatment. Professionals are establishing goal-directed therapeutic intervention for this population with Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). When being exposed to an animal, studies have shown positive effects in an individual’s

This type of dog will assist patients with a physical and occupational therapist in meeting goals for the individual’s recovery. Some tasks that these dogs can help to achieve include gaining motion in limbs, fine motor control, and hand-eye coordination. Animal Assisted Therapy dogs typically work in rehabilitation

The benefits of animal-assisted therapy towards children varies, one of the benefits is to be able to bring out the best out of the child. The animal could connect with the child spiritually and could improve self-esteem because the child would finally feel accepted by the animal (Weston, 2010) as this quote stated, “A therapy dog may be the first creature who has listened and responded to the child with such enthusiasm and compassion. This can result in the child feeling heard and important” (Pichot, 2007 cited in Weston, 2010). The animals are capable of taking the pressure off the child as s/he is going through a difficult experience and being forced to deal with people, the animal can take up the role of being the child’s supporter. Animals can be used as a “bribe” because some children does not want to attend to therapy but is willing to show up because of the animal which is good because in the end the child would be able to receive the therapy s/he needs. Animals that are trained to be assisted therapy animal are capable of switching its beneficial roles to be able to comfort

With limited empirical research supporting the use and effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy, it is reasonable to suggest that the costs of implementing AAT into occupational therapy are not worth the benefits. Occupational therapy modalities are already effective at treating patients with many different disabilities and/or disorders—integrating a new type of therapy into occupational therapy is less convenient and more expensive than leaving an already effective therapy as is.

Survivors of sexual abuse may reach a point in their lives where they find they need assistance from a professional in order to overcome the trauma of their experiences. Assisted animal therapy has been shown to make the task of having to recount painful and traumatic experiences much less daunting. Having an animal present in therapy sessions greatly increases the survivor’s ability to heal in a less threatening manner. An animal provides sympathy and comfort that are physically expressed without overstepping the therapist’s professional boundaries.

The evidence based research that this article supports is specific to the diagnosis of adults living with dementia, while it looks at the effects of Animal – Assisted therapy intervention on the agitated behaviors and social interactions of this diagnosis. This article is written through the eyes of a CTRS whom is using this intervention study with nursing home residents from a therapeutic recreation perspective. With the large increase in our aging population we will also be seeing an increase in dementia-associated behaviors such as agitation. By finding non-traditional treatment interventions such as Animal Assisted therapy we are setting ourselves up for success at an early time. This evidence-based research was based on a pilot study of

There are numerous benefits of using Equine Assisted Psychotherapy or any other animal therapy. One benefits is that the clients form a bond with the horse, and it in return has a positive effect on the person and the animal. Another benefit is horses can help people who struggle with social interactions. When they work with a horse it is giving them practice to opening up with people because they are forming a bond with the animal, which in turn can teach them how to form a bond with people.

Animal Assisted Therapy dog. This type of dog will assist patients with a physical and occupational therapy by meeting goals for the patients recovery. Some tasks that these dogs can help the patient achieve includes gain motion in limbs use, fine motor control such as controlled movement, and hand-eye coordination. This type of therapy dog usually work in rehabilitation

In 2011 it was found that about 30% of college students reported feeling “so depressed it was difficult to function” (Depression and College Students 1).

Scallion’s (2010) purpose in writing the article is to tell readers interested in animal therapy about the effects it has on children in school by sharing her own experiences on the subject. The text tells of Gretel, a therapy dog at the elementary school where Scallion worked as a principal. The article’s claim was supported through vignettes such as helping a boy with a phobia of school, and evidence from the book “Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling” by Cynthia Chandler. The article concluded that animal-assisted therapy benefits young students in many ways, such as improving mood, reducing anxiety, strengthening social skills, and providing comfort. The article states the benefits of having therapy animals in schools and provided real-world

The unique aspect for pet owners is that owning a pet is an emotion-focused coping strategy within itself. According to the Mayo Clinic (2015), animal-assisted therapy is a growing field in which pets are used to help people recover from or better cope with health problems, such as heart disease, cancer, and mental health disorders. Animal-assisted therapy provides trained animals that wholeheartedly interact with patients with no hidden agenda (Dogtime, 2015). Their purpose is to serve as a companion for the patients, as well as act as a gateway to allow the patient to slowly build his or her own self-esteem and communication skills once more. Furthermore, human’s innate behavior in releasing endorphins, as a result of petting an animal, benefits

Animals have served humans in more than one way including as a source of food, improving our health, and service in working. They have helped in all of these fields, and humans have grown fond of them. Nowadays, it is seen that people grow to love their pets, and there are many organizations fighting for animal rights. Pet owners are extremely attached, so they suffer a lot of pain when the animal dies. According to a study done in Romania concerning pet loss, humans like having pets and adopting them because they like “caring for a being” that is “dependent on” them. In all aspects of the relationship between animals and humans, they have helped each other in many ways. Animal therapy helps improve human’s emotions and disorders because of the fact that we like to be nurtured and taken care of.