ĭolphin-assisted therapies are primarily advertised through popular media such as television, informational movies, and the internet. This interest, however, has taken a reckless turn and has led to the evolution of a treatment known as dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT). The grace and beauty of dolphins along with their responsiveness to humans have led therapists and researchers to assess potential therapeutic benefits. Betsy Johnson was among the first to discover using dolphins as a therapeutic agent with individuals suffering from neurological impairments. The rate of animal-facilitated therapy has increased dramatically over the past few years however, the number of empirical research studies showing the efficacy of this therapy has not. Dogs are generally the most common therapeutic animal, but the literature and historic record suggests that cats, guinea pigs, cockatoos, African grays, horses, chickens, pot-bellied pigs, llamas, goats, and donkeys have all been utilized with therapeutic aims. Among those sharing relatively heightened interest and relatively little empirical support are animal-based treatments.Īs noted by Morrison, for more than 12,000 years, animals and humans have been in therapeutic relationships together. Taken together, there exist many opportunities for the eager pursuit of a wide range of treatments. This number makes a stark increase compared to the $22 million spent in 1997.
It was estimated that in 2005 the National Institutes of Health spent $99 million on autism research. The number of diagnosed cases of ASD has increased ten times in the past 20 years with the current rate of one in every 166 children born being diagnosed. The combination of desperation and a lack of effective treatment options provided by the physician may lead parents to pursue treatments with little or no empirical support. Such concerns may be confounded when physicians fail to anticipate or understand the feelings of desperation that accompany some parents of children with ASD when they come into the office. Such treatments may be of special concern when seemingly extraordinary results are guaranteed. As defined by Simpson, a controversial treatment is any method or strategy that has not been validated by scientific support.
Dolphin-Assisted Therapy: Claims versus EvidenceĪlong with other pervasive conditions, those identified as having autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have often been subject to questionable or controversial treatments.
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