http://www.animalangelsfoundation.com/about-aat/scientific-aat.php?height=695
This website has a ton of interesting information :) I mostly read through the part that I posted the link to, but if you click on the links in the left column of the page-there are a number of links with neat information as well. The Biophilia Hypothesis discusses how in early human history, humans needed to know about plants and animals for survival purposes. It is because of this, people can learn skills and recover faster when animals are used in therapy, rather than only having a therapist present. Children with disabilities may not respond well or relate to other humans, thus creating a bond with animals instead. I'm not saying that this is the case for every individual with a disability-this scientific theory just discusses why some may relate to animals better than other humans :)
The second scientific theory on why AAT works is the Yerkes-Dosdon Law. This predicts an inverted U-shaped function between arousal and performance. This basically says that AAT is effective because a human therapist may cause increased stress and arousal on the child, and an animal can counteract the stress with its relaxing and playful nature. I found all of these theories to be pretty interesting-click on the link posted to read more in-depth. The site also has a lot about the positive aspects of using AAT and why it should be used. Check that out too! Animal-assisted therapy has such a positive effect on children with disabilities that tend to be withdrawn and uncommunicative...I want to find more information about cases where it has worked and if it has ever been used in a classroom...Wish me luck! It's hard to find new information about this topic...Anyway, hope you enjoyed the scientific take on AAT!
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This article talks about the "bond" that children with disabilities is able to create with animals. I can really connect with this because I have a dog. We have a rescue dog. He was abandoned on the side of the road with five other pups and left to die. A friend of mine rescued them and nursed them back to health at her farm. She gave them all away to local families. We took in the last one she had left. He is a mutt... part lab, part shepherd, part I really don't know. Regardless... he is an amazing dog. He has bonded with our whole family. To my husband, he is a trail dog. He has went all over the US horseback riding with my husband. He loves to run right along beside Tim on the trail. To my girls, he is a "little" brother. They really treat him that way. He watched tv with them, they sneak him whatever snack they are eating. He is their protector when they are home alone. For me, he is my friend and protector. when Tim is working out of town he watches over all of us, sits with me while I am doing my homework, warns me when someone is outside, takes walks in the woods with me, and is my friend. Dogs have unconditional love for their owners, they look beyond our faults and we ALL have them.
ReplyDeleteI think that for the child who may have a disability, the animal doesn't see it. They are smarter than humans in that aspect. Their relationships with humans don't seem to be restricted by superficial things, they see our heart. This is just my thought... wanted to share it!