Animal-Assisted Therapy and the Severely Disabled Child: A Quantitative Study
By Heimlich, Kathryn; Journal of Rehabilitation, Vol. 67, No. 4Publication Date: October/November/December 2001
Study conducted to assess the efficacy of an animal-assisted therapy program conducted at a residential facility for children with multiple disabilities. To evaluate the effect of animal-assisted therapy on participant functioning, researchers created the Measurement of Pet Intervention. The instrument consists of four items evaluated on a Likert scale of one to seven: (1) attention span, (2) physical movement, (3) communication, and (4) compliance. Three trials of the animal-assisted therapy program were proposed as a treatment plan for seven children. The author used her Labrador retriever in the program delivery. Each trial consisted of two thirty-minute sessions every week for a duration of eight weeks. Analysis of the data collected following the interventions indicated a positive effect for all participants. The research protocol utilized in the study is reviewed, and the author offers a discussion of the problematic variables inherent in such research modalities.
Published by: National Rehabilitation Association (Website:http://www.nationalrehab.org)
Link to text: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0825/is_4_67/ai_81759719
