1. Murphy 1
The Effects of Animal Assisted Therapy on Disabled Children
Animal assisted therapy provides
many
psychological benefits who receive the therapy. The
overall intention of this paper was to determine, based on the available research, if the
AAT concept and strategies have potential as an effective treatment method for disabled
children ranging from mental, social and physical disabilities. AAT involves treatment
methods, psychological effects, physical effects and how therapy animals are chosen.
Maybe more people should consider how therapy animals might be utilized as part of a
disabled child’s education, and aid in generating a level of social functioning so that these
individuals are able to live life more fully.
Many People have questioned the use of Animal Assisted Therapy, and its ability
to help individuals to do things that any normal person could do with ease. Many of the
disabilities that children live with leave them feeling vulnerable and alone. They are
limited in everyday activities depending on their specific disability. Children with
mental retardation tend to have a harder time dealing with their disabilities due to their
difficulty with self-expression. What many people do not know is that Animal Assisted
Therapy has been proven to help many disabled children to open up, and be able to
communicate with not only the animals, but also everyone around them. As Anatole
France, author of The Gods Have Blood once said, “Until one has loved an animal, a part
of one’s soul has remained unawaken.” This quote really shows the importance an
animal can have on a human. Animals have a way of bringing people out of their shell
and closer together. Research from the service dogs for independence suggests that

2. therapy dogs may encourage improved communication skills, and may take on a unique
role as a transitional object, similar to that of a safety blanket. The purpose of a therapy
dog as a transitional object would be to help the child deal with meeting new people or
being introduced to a new environment. In this situation, the child projects attributes of
familiarity, predictability and safety onto the animal, and has the potential to supply the
child with a supportive agent for entering into new situations successfully, in spite of
stubborn communication and social obstacles. Dogs have been associated with humans
for more than 14,000 years. They have served as companions, guards, hunters, herders,
medical subjects and guides. Recently, the selection of dogs to be used to assist humans
with physical or mental disabilities has been made even more difficult by the introduction
of pound and animal shelter dogs as candidates. Only about 58.6% of dogs enter training
and complete training. When a puppy reaches 3 months of age there is some
predictability of adult behavior. A lot of time and work are put into every animal that is
used for any type of Animal Assisted Therapy to be sure that every child is safe and gets
the help they need. While researching this topic it became exactly how Animal
Assisted Therapy Equine therapy is one of the main methods they use at their clinic.
75%
Equine Therapy
25%
Pet Therapy
Animal Assisted Therapies
5%
Service Dogs

3. Murphy 3
Horses have a way of identifying each child’s individual issue and create situations that
provide opportunities for change. Suzanne Carter, Equine assisted therapist said, “What
makes the horse so special is their sensitivity and willingness to interact with humans.
Under the guidance of the therapist, the child experiments with ways to deal with the fear.
The way the horse responds directly and clearly to the child’s actions provides instant
feedback about what works and what does not. Children may gain greater self-
confidence, improve their creative thinking and problem solving skills, enhance their
understanding of personal responsibility and increase self-awareness. Equine assisted
therapy addresses a variety of mental health and human development concerns including
behavioral issues, substance abuse, eating disorders, emotional and sexual abuse,
depression, anxiety, relationships and communication. Each session is specifically
designed to suit the child’s needs. Equine assisted therapy is a great way for disabled
children to learn how to use their body in different ways and put a big smile on their face!
To fully integrate Animal Assisted Therapy into conventional medical practice as
an accepted therapeutic modality, more convincing intervention studies are necessary to
confirm its clinical merits, along with an understanding of the underlying mechanism of
the human response to the company of friendly animals. Historically, the concept of
animals improving human health has evolved from an initial “belief in the supernatural
power of animals and animal spirits,” among early hunter-gatherers, to more recent
beliefs of animals as “agents of socialization” and as providers of “relaxation and social
support.” One of the earliest documented therapeutic programs using animals took place

4. in the 1790s at the York Retreat, where mentally ill patients were encouraged to walk
through the gardens and interact with, and care for numerous small domestic animals.
In 1860 Florence Nightingale recorded her observations in The Journal of Rehabilitation
on the therapeutic roll of animals. It was not until the 1960s that the concept of animals’
therapeutic value was recognized through the work of an American child psychiatrist,
Boris Levinson wrote his book, Pet-Oriented Child Psychotherapy. He wrote about the
effects that his dog had on small children during his therapy sessions. Like Levinson,
Samuel Corson, an experimental psychologist, and his wife, Elizabeth, also recognized
the therapeutic value of companion animals and evaluated the effects of Animal Assisted
Therapy as an adjunct to conventional therapy in institutional settings.
In 1977, Leo K. Bustad, a veterinarian, and Michael J. McCulloch, a psychiatrist,
founded the Delta Society, a human-service organization dedicated to improving people’s
health and well-being through positive interactions with animals. They and their
colleagues observed that pets had positive effects on pet owners’ health and happiness
and believed that more could be brought to light by scientific research. The Delta Society
has become a leader in establishing training curriculum for therapy animals and is now
one of the largest organizations providing service and therapy animals. Animal Assisted
Therapy is designed to promote improvement in human social, physical, emotional and
cognitive functioning. Animal Assisted Therapy is provided in a variety of settings and
may be a group or individual process. By contrast, Animal Assisted Activities are less
structured and typically consist primarily of pet visitation. Animal Assisted Activities
provide opportunities for motivational, educational, recreational and therapeutic benefits
to enhance quality of life. Animal Assisted Activities are delivered in a variety of

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environments by specially trained professionals, paraprofessionals, and volunteers, in
association with animals that meet specific criteria. There was encouraging evidence
from these studies that showed a positive effect on human health and well-being. Some
of these outcomes include improvements in mood, depression and anxiety.
While researching this topic it became exactly how Animal Assisted Therapy
works, how it helps disabled children with social and physical issues, how Animal
assisted Therapy was founded and how therapy animals are chosen. Animals have
become a major part of the medical field and are accomplishing things that were not
possible without before them. Animal Assisted Therapy is becoming more well know
every day and is helping children to feel important and meet physical and mental
challenges that they could not meet alone.

6. Murphy 5
environments by specially trained professionals, paraprofessionals, and volunteers, in
association with animals that meet specific criteria. There was encouraging evidence
from these studies that showed a positive effect on human health and well-being. Some
of these outcomes include improvements in mood, depression and anxiety.
While researching this topic it became exactly how Animal Assisted Therapy
works, how it helps disabled children with social and physical issues, how Animal
assisted Therapy was founded and how therapy animals are chosen. Animals have
become a major part of the medical field and are accomplishing things that were not
possible without before them. Animal Assisted Therapy is becoming more well know
every day and is helping children to feel important and meet physical and mental
challenges that they could not meet alone.