What is Animal Assisted Therapy?

Answer 1

The terminology in this continually evolving area of human-animal intervention has undergone many changes over the years and is still not standardized nationally in the US or internationally, and can create confusion. For a better explanation of what Animal Assisted Therapy is, and what it is not, first an explanation of the types of certifications and programs for which animals may be used and types of services and animals involved will help add to clarification.

In the US, probably the leading general service and therapy animal training and certification programs and resources are provided by the Delta Society. (see link to their web site below in the related links section) The Delta Society explains the differences in the terms Service, Therapy, Companion and Social/therapy/Visiting Animals at their web pages. The following excerpts are from their pages: * "Service Animals are legally defined (Americans With Disabilities Act, 1990) and are trained to meet the disability-related needs of their handlers who have disabilities. Federal Laws protect the rights of individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by their service animals in public places. Service animals are not considered 'pets'. * Therapy Animals are not legally defined by federal law, but some states have laws defining therapy animals. They provide people with contact to animals, but are not limited to working with people who have disabilities. They are usually the personal pets of their handlers, and work with their handlers to provide services to others. Federal laws have no provisions for people to be accompanied by therapy animals in places of public accommodation that have "no pets" policies. Therapy animals usually are not service animals. * A Companion Animal is not legally defined, but is accepted as another term for pet. * 'Social/therapy' Animals have no legal definition. They often are animals that did not complete service animal or service dog training due to health, disposition, trainability, or other factors, and are made available as pets for people who have disabilities. These animals might or might not meet the definition of service animals." Visiting animals is a term that is also non-standard, but is often used to describe both Companion Animals and "Social/therapy" Animals. They provide a means of contact with pets and companion dogs for a social interaction. They often are taken for visits by their volunteer owners/handlers to nursing facilities, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, people's homes, and other settings where the value of animals for elevation of mood, the health benefits of contact with animals in a social atmosphere, and other benefits such as memory enhancement through recall of happy memories of pets from the past help with orientation of confused patients. Each community may have their own programs for training and certifying Visiting Pets, with often multiple programs in large metropolitan areas. Some hospitals and facilities will require a certification from one or more of the local pet visiting organizations before allowing the animals to visit. A Delta Society certification is accepted by most, if not all, of these locally managed programs and by many facilities nationally who may not accept the local groups' certifications.

The definition for Service Dog/Animal according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was enacted in 1990, is an animal which has been "individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability." This same law defines a "disability" as a "mental or physical condition which substantially limits a major life activity."

Service animals must be trained to perform activities or jobs that are related directly to the disability of the individual.

Many animals in addition to dogs can perform one of the assistance functions defined above. One of the most well known types of Service Animals is the Guide Dog for the Blind. The most well known and respected training programs for Guide Dogs for the Blind are accredited by the International Federation of Guide Dog Schools in the United States. There are ten accredited schools in the US and still more in other countries.

But in some areas some other types of animals are trained to perform this Guiding for the Blind function. For example, in the Houston, TX, US area, there is a trained Guide Horse for the blind. It is a miniature horse, no bigger than a large dog, complete with harness like the dogs wear, and custom "tennis shoes" for its hooves. It performs all the same services a Guide Dog performs and can assist even more with its particular owner because of strength and balance as a Mobility Assistance Animal for its owner who has problems with balance in addition to the vision problem. It is "housebroken" and serious (but very cute) as it performs its respected services. Service Dog is used as a species-specific term to refer to dogs in the roles of service animals. Another species that often provides services that meet the ADA definition of Service animal is the group of primates. Because of their finger dexterity, they can significantly improve the lives of a paralyzed person or person who has no use of their hands or fingers for other reasons.

Other species are also used in activities and therapies that are not legally "Service Animals" by the definition of ADA, some are: Llamas, cats, rabbits, therapeutic riding horses and ponies, dolphins, birds, cattle, lambs, oxen and other animals used for driving with carts and buggies, etc. "Service Animal" is defined legally, but some or all of the same services and activities through out the years prior to the legal definition have often also been performed by animals called Assistance Animal or Assistance dog.

Conditions and disorders that are often aided by the assistance of Service Dogs are associated with diagnoses such as:

• Arthritis

• Ataxia (poor balance)

• Autism

• Blindness

• Deafness or Impaired Hearing

• Diabetes

• Cardio/Pulmonary Disease

• Cerebral Palsy

• Physical mobility Issues

• Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.)

• Psychiatric Disabilities

• Seizure Disorders (Epilepsy)

• Spina Bifida

• Spinal Cord/Head Trauma

• Stroke

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), although not legally defined, is mostly universally used among the various organizations to mean Therapy (mostly physical, but not restricted to physical only) performed by degreed and licensed medical therapists, such as Registered Physical Therapists(RPT) or Registered Occupational Therapists (OTR), who use the assistance of specially trained and certified animals to accomplish their therapeutic goals that are individualized to a specific patient's care. Therapy Assistance Animals and Therapy Assistance Dogs have proven to be successful motivators who make therapy fun, or provide aspects of therapy that are not possible for humans to perform. These, however, are not the same as Service Animals.

Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) can provide similar therapeutic benefits, however, usually the registered Physical or Occupational therapists are not involved in the activities directly, as is required in AAT. The RPT and OTR therapists may well describe the activities that would be beneficial or therapeutic and work in conjunction with the other professionals in the activities, but not provide a direct role or even direct supervision. The persons guiding the AAA can be degreed and licensed Activity Directors, Social Workers, Registered Nurses, and Recreational Therapists, where the goal is not just entertainment, but some health benefit is targeted and expected from the activities as well. But again, these are not considered Service Animals.

The information at the Delta Society web page (see link below) includes more information on these programs of AAA and AAT. Therapeutic activities that may be employed in Animal Assisted Therapy are, for example, activities that encourage a patient to focus less on the pain and action of the physical motion for which the therapy is given and more on the presence and interactions of the animal. Some of the common activities that my Therapy Assistance Dog and I volunteer to perform, under the direction of a Physical Therapist, involve normal activities of living, such as having the patient take the leash and "take them for a walk". While the patient is enjoying the interaction with the dog, and the accompanying dog handler, and while the dog calmly, enthusiastically, and carefully heels beside them (or their walker or cane or wheelchair), the patient often will move farther in a therapeutic activity than they have previously without the assistance of the dog (and without even realizing it). They look forward to the therapy sessions rather than dread them. Other activities, for example, could be directed at arm and shoulder exercises performed by throwing balls or toys for the dog to retrieve; hand, grip, finger, shoulder, and arm exercise obtained while brushing or grooming the dogs; stooping, reaching, bending, and balance control when providing food, water, or treats for the dog; walking stair steps with the dog at their side, which helps them feel more secure with "someone" at their side opposite the railing, etc. Another form of Animal Assisted Therapy is Therapeutic Riding (also sometimes called "hippotherapy" or Equine Therapy) where patients are directed by Registered Physical Therapists (or OTRs) in therapeutic plans with goals toward muscle strengthening, coordination, attention and concentration enhancement, balance, etc., while working with and/or riding, or driving horses and ponies. These therapy programs are usually certified in the US by NARHA, the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. (See the related questions and links below for more information about Therapeutic Riding and Driving programs.) These physical therapy activities are referred to as Equine Assisted Activity and Therapy (EAAT).

According to NARHA, conditions that have shown proven benefits from EAAT are: Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, Visual Impairment, Down syndrome, Mental Retardation, Autism, Multiple Sclerosis, Spina Bifida, Emotional Disabilities, Brain Injuries, Spinal Cord Injuries, Amputations, Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, Deafness, and Cardiovascular accident/Stroke. I have worked with a NARHA Premier Equine Assisted Therapy Center and program handling and training the horses, and assisting the clients in their therapies, and have seen some clients and their family members have dramatic quality of life improvements from the EAAT.

Some additional (and non-physical) Animal Assisted Therapies with equines include the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association (EFMHA) programs of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) and Equine Facilitated Learning(EFL).

As defined by NAHRA and EFMHA, EFP "is experiential psychotherapy that involves equines. It may include, but is not limited to, such mutually respectful equine activities as handling, grooming, longeing, riding, driving, and vaulting. EFP is facilitated by a licensed, credentialed mental health professional working with an appropriately credentialed equine professional.". . . "for people with psychological issues and mental health needs, including anxiety, depression, and autism." And EFL is "an educational approach that includes equine facilitated activities incorporating the experience of equine/human interaction in an environment of learning or self discovery. EFL encourages personal explorations of feelings and behaviors to help promote human growth and development. One of the animal species with the longest history of benefits to and interactions with humans is the Dog. Other activities that dogs perform, that fall outside both the realms of Animal Assisted Therapy and Service Animal work, are the working dogs jobs of SAR (Search and Rescue), Drug Sniffing Dogs, Bomb Dogs, Police dogs, etc. And also outside of the Therapy Assistance and Service Dog definitions are dogs working and bred for activities historically falling in the AKC "Working Group" of dogs, such as: guarding property, pulling sleds, and performing water rescues. And the jobs of the dogs in the AKC "Herding Group", used to help humans and other animals in herding and herd guarding activities, are also notconsidered Service Animals or Animal Assisted Therapy dogs.

The US Service Dog Registry (see link in links section below) keeps a registry and information about Service Dogs and makes the distinction between Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs and other animals involved in the different aspects of working with humans. They state on their web page, "Guide dogs, used by some individuals who are blind, are the most well known type of Service Dog. Other specific terms for specialized service dogs include Signal Dogs for the deaf or hearing impaired, Mobility Assistance Dogs, Seizure Response Dogs, and Psychiatric Service Dogs. The terms 'Service Dog', 'Service Animal', and 'Assistance Dog' all mean the same."

Additionally, the US Service Dog Registry clarifies, "In short, any person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity might be a candidate for a Service Dog. Please note that Therapy Dogs, Search & Rescue Dogs, Forensic Dogs, Police K-9's, Military Working Dogs and other types of working dogs are NOT Service Dogs . . ."