1. Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) Can Help Disabled Children
Monica Winkler

2. Animals can be more than just fun!!!
Service dogs (and cats) can assist disabled children in many ways
Horses can help a disabled child learn to walk
Dolphins can interact with and stimulate disabled children to talk

3. How Can Animals Assist Disabled Children?
Dogs and Cats
Both dogs and cats can serve as seizure alert animals
Dogs serve as guides and assist autistic children
17 Health Benefits of Owning a Cat
Horses
Horses help stretch and strengthen muscles and improve balance and posture of disabled children
Horses also help to increase coordination and mobility
Dolphins
Dolphins increases attention span, motivation, and language skills of disabled children
Dolphins help to improve coordination and mobility
The Debate on Benefits of Dolphin Therapy

4. Arguments Against Animal Assisted Therapy
Dangerous
Unproven
Expensive

5. Disadvantages of Animal Assisted Therapy
Dangerous
Expensive
Unproven
Animals and the disabled child can harm one another
Some Dolphin Therapy Resorts start at $19,000 for 14 days
More scientific research needs to be done to prove benefits

6. Caregivers need to do research of their own!!
More scientific research is needed to understand all the benefits that animal assisted therapy has to offer!!
Ask questions
Do you have time and resources
to take care of a live-in animal?
Is the animal business reputable?
Caregivers need to do research of their own!!
Is the therapy appropriate for
the child? Is the child allergic
to animals? Is he/she mean to
animals or afraid of them?
Do the benefits out
weigh the cost?
Are injury statistics
available for the business?
Do you understand the risks
as well as the benefits?

7. Animal Therapy Can Help Disabled Children
More scientific research is needed
Caregivers of a disabled child need to:
Learn about benefits and risks
Ask to see licenses, references, vaccination records, and injury statistics
Set realistic expectations
Animals can assist in physical and
psychological therapy
Animals can physically assist and provide
safety to disabled children
Animals can provide emotional support and
contribute to well-being, language skills,
increased mobility, and general health
What can you do?
Encourage local hospitals and mental facilities to adopt a therapy animal!
Write your Congressman or local college that you support more funding for research!
Support your local service animal or animal assisted facility with your time and/or money!