September 26th, 2010
Animal Assisted Therapies
As early as the 18th century, AAT is being administered by people as a medical intervention for improving a person’s structural and postural balance. Aside from the physical benefits AAT gives, it has also been found out that animal companion also helps the person to improve and develop a sense of self-worth, ego strength, self-confidence and social competence.
Today, AAT is known to work well with children who have behavior problems as well to kids that are autistic, nonverbal, schizophrenic, inhibited, withdrawn, obsessive-compulsive and even to those who are culturally challenged. Because of this, AAT/nature education programs were created to be therapeutic for patients in residential treatment especially for those with attention-deficit/hyperactive and conduct disorders.
It has also been observed that canine companions included in the AAT program were effective in decreasing the patient’s agitated and aggressive behavior while improving their cooperation with the instructors, thus leading to engaged learning and behavioral control in a regular classroom setting.
UNITED NATIONS — Four million children have died in the past decade because governments have not spread major medical advances to the poor, a leading aid group said Tuesday.