Animal Assisted Therapy

Animal Assisted Therapy is a kind of therapy that was first discovered in 1792 where farm animals were used to teach patients in psychiatric care self control. It has since grown to become a well known and effective form of treatment to many different disorders ranging from ADHD and Autism to PTSD, sexual assault cases and Dementia. Domestic pets such as cats, dogs, birds, hamsters etc. are often introduced to patients in nursing homes, jails, hospitals, homes etc. as a way to bring about positive and relaxing energy to those who need it. This not only allows patients to feel happier but it often results in improvements in overall health and well- being even to those with serious and once thought irreversible disorders or diseases. Animal Assisted Therapy doesn't just stop with domestic pets, there's also programs which involve horses and even dolphins! Equine programs usually involve a specially designed riding program for patients with all kinds of disorders- whether it be physical, mental, psychological, behavioural, cognitive etc. In all of these cases, equine assisted therapy has shown to improve symptoms of these various disorders and heighten overall well being and positivity in the patients. Dolphin assisted therapy often involves patients with disorders such as Autism, Downs Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy to increase their motor function, attention span and help with their speech. There have been a number of studies done on Dolphin Assisted Therapy that have shown to improve symptoms of these disorders, but the field is still new to research and more studies need to be done to confirm this. Maggie O'Haire in 2013 did a study that reviewed 14 clinical trials of Animal Assisted Therapy with Autism patients. All of her studies found that Animal Assisted Therapy was effective for a improving the state of autism patients. Erika Friedmann and Heesook Son have done many studies on Animal Assisted Therapy and have also found that in all cases they researched there was an overall improvement in patients after undergoing Animal Assisted Therapies. These studies done by Friedmann and Heesook Son included Alzheimer's, Schizophrenia, developmental disabilities and Downes Syndrome patients. These studies are only the tip of the iceberg. As Animal Assisted Therapy gains more popularity we are expected to see many groundbreaking research on the capabilities of animals improving overall human well- being and health.

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