Autism and the iPad: Proloquo2Go Demo Video

Dolphin Assisted Therapy: Is DAT Dangerous?

***Re-posting this one, fixing the You Tube links and after coming across this article today ... Autism Therapy: Dolphin Therapy ***




I've seen a lot of talk of late concerning "Dolphin Assisted Therapy (DAT)" for kids with autism and other neurological conditions. Don't believe the hype that you hear about this "therapy." While it may be fun, your therapy dollars would be better spent elsewhere.

We do the horse therapy for our daughter and she loves it. I don't know about the therapeutic value, but it's a great activity. Horse "therapy", or Equine Assisted Therapy (aka - Hippotherapy) does not involve the level of danger associated with dolphin therapy and also does NOT endanger the animal. There is a big difference.

Other types of "Animal Assisted Therapy" (AAT) include, but are not limited to dogs, cats, elephants, birds, rabbits, lizards and (I kid you not) Rats. I am not knocking Rat Assisted Therapy (RAT), and the thought of it almost makes the dolphin telepathy folks seem sane. :-)

I think animals are good for kids with autism, but before you spend thousands of dollars, go rescue a dog or cat at Petfinder.com or your local pound.

The folks who push dolphin therapy often promote it as a "healing" experience and often imply that there is some magical telepathic link created between the child and the dolphin. Several even claim that the brains of kids with autism work along the same lines as the dolphins.

Originating in 1978 by Dr. David Nathanson, Dolphin Assisted Therapy (DAT) has been used as a therapeutic approach to increase speech and motor skills in patients who have been diagnosed with developmental, physical, and/or emotional disabilities, such as mental retardation, Down syndrome, and autism. It is suggested that the unconditional love and support a dolphin offers can benefit children and other mentally ill patients by helping them learn to develop trust. Many believe that dolphins have human-like emotions and the compassion that they're able to give increases self-confidence, social skills and academic achievement in children and others who may be lacking these skills. *

Lose / Lose

In reality, DAT is a lose/lose situation for the child and the dolphin. Parents spent literally thousands of dollars on this treatment that could have been better spent elsewhere. In addition to the financial strain, the kids and the dolphins are put at a great risk of injury or infection. Often these dolphins have been taken out of the wild via a process that often results in death or injury to other dolphins.

As Swim With The Dolphin (SWTD) programs and Dolphin Assisted Therapy (DAT) continue to gain popularity, we're seeing more and more dolphins being held in captivity than ever before. *

Dolphins that become desensitized towards humans are also highly at risk of getting entangled in commercial fishing nets or being hit by boat propellers.

Dolphins are bred in captivity in U.S. marine parks, but in other countries they are often taken from the wild. "If people knew how these animals were captured, I don't think they would want to swim with them in a tank or participate in DAT," Marino says, referring to an annual "dolphin drive" in Japan. "During the dolphin drives hundreds of animals are killed, or panicked and die of heart attacks, in water that's red with their blood, while trainers from facilities around the world pick out young animals for their marine parks. They hoist them out of the water, sometimes by their tail flukes, and take them away."

Each live dolphin can bring a fisherman $50,000 or more, she says. "The marine parks make millions off of dolphins, so that's a drop in the bucket. It's an irony that dolphins are among the most beloved, and the most exploited, animals in the world," Marino says.

(Physorg.com)

Safety

Putting your child in contact with a wild animal is dangerous. Yes, dolphins are cute and evolution gave them the appearance of smiling, but they are not like "Flipper." While we hate to think of them as such, but by their nature, dolphins are very aggressive predators. I saw one comment on this topic that probably sums up why people don't think they are dangerous: "They are too adorable to be dangerous!"

In contact with humans, dolphins have been known to bite and exhibit "sexually aggressive" behavior. In addition to biting, dolphins have head-butted, raked their teeth along limbs, cracked ribs, broken arms, bruised, and dragged people under water. One man in Brazil was killed when he apparently stuck something in the creature's blowhole, something I am fairly certain my daughter would want to try within the first minute of "therapy". The following story concerns a bottlenose dolphin, the same species as our old friend Flipper.

In March 1994, a bottlenose dolphin that the locals came to call Tiao began appearing on the beach near Sao Paulo. Tiao did not seem to be associated with any nearby group and was obviously attracted to humans. Such animals, often called ambassador dolphins, are rare. No one knows why they prefer to associate with humans rather than their own kind. But the attraction was mutual. According to the BBC's magazine Wildlife, "At times, Tiao would be surrounded by up to 30 people, climbing on his back, tying things to his flippers, sticking things into his blowhole, hitting him with sticks, even trying to drag him out of the water to be photographed with the family and kids on the beach." In December, after nine months of this, Tiao rammed one man to death and injured several others. *

I highly recommend you watch the Penn and Teller show Bulls*&^ on Dolphins. Part II of this episode mentions DAT for kids with special needs. WARNING: Graphic Language, Don't watch if you are easily offended. If you are not easily offended, you are in for a hilarious treat.

Part I:

Part II:

Part III:

Related articles on both side of the Dolphin Therapy issue:

• Call for Ban on Dolphin Assisted Therapy


• Dolphin Assisted Therapy Does Not Aid Recovery


• Miracles Of Dolphin Assisted Therapy Research


• A contribution to the science of Dolphin-Assisted Therapy


• Is Dolphin Assisted Therapy Research The Answer?


• Dolphin Therapy For Autistic Children


• Controversial Dolphin Assisted Therapy (DAT): A Note from Ann Novek


• The Promise Of Dolphin -Assisted Therapy


• Dolphins and People...


• Dolphin Assisted Therapy


• Swimming With Dolphins May Not Have Any Health Benefit


• Dolphin Experience 2008


• Swimming With Dolphins An Aquatic Adventure


• Dolphins and Kids


• Something's Fishy


• Does dolphin-assisted therapy really work?


• Swimming With Dolphins Doesn't Confer Any Benefits


• Dolphin Disappointments


• Healing yourself in the new earth


• Dolphin Assisted Therapy


• Dobbs defends dolphins rights to interact with people.


• Dolphin Therapy Smells Fishy


• Dolphin way of life

Riding school provides therapy for people with disabilities

Riding school provides therapy for people with disabilities
By Amy Erickson

Megan Hanno's ultimate goal is to walk again.

Special Troopers Adaptive Riding School (S.T.A.R.S.) Inc. is helping the Le Mars woman move toward that goal.

The nonprofit organization provides therapeutic techniques on horseback for people of all ages, from 18 months on, with physical, cognitive or emotional disabilities.

"In most cases just about any diagnosis qualifies," said Jessie Christopherson, S.T.A.R.S. executive director. "There's a whole lot of folks out there who could be utilizing the service and don't know they qualify."

Megan, 22, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident five years ago. Since then she has had to relearn everything from swallowing to talking to walking.

Horseback riding through S.T.A.R.S. helps strengthen Megan's core muscles, the ones that help people walk, sit upright and balance, Christopherson said.

The horse's movement replicates the motion that people's pelvis and hips make when the walk on two feet, she said.

Monday afternoon Megan's mom Paula Hanno, pushed her wheelchair up a ramp to a mounting block in the S.T.A.R.S. indoor arena for Megan's weekly therapy session.

Megan said riding helps her balance.

"My abs (were) really sore," after her session the week before, she said.

"There's no way to cheat on a horse," Christopherson said. "She has to retrain her body to use muscles her brain has forgotten how to use."

As volunteer and part-time instructor, Holly Tucker, lead Brownie and Megan around the arena, Megan's constant battle was to remain upright with her chin down.

[FULL ARTICLE]

Related:

• Special Troopers Adaptive Riding School, Inc.
• Therapeutic Horseback Riding
• THR
• Hippotherapy
• Horse Therapy
• Equine Therapy

Therapeutic equestrian program offers emotional and physical benefits

Riding in stride

Therapeutic equestrian program offers emotional, physical benefits

By Jill Thurston

When Ella Smith, of Mt. Lebanon, began a therapeutic horseback riding program a year ago, the girl was hesitant to even touch a horse.

Now, 9-year-old Ella has worked up to petting, feeding and riding the horse, too, said her mom, Julie Smith.

In-Stride With Therapeutic Riding Inc., a 2-year-old, nonprofit program operating at the West Pike Run Equestrian Center in Coal Center, helps children with special needs to gain confidence and develop abilities to focus, relax and accept change while learning to ride, said founder and director Dana Flaherty, 34, of North Strabane.

Riding also can help to develop core muscles and improve stability, which often is an issue for children with physical disabilities, Ms. Flaherty said.

In-Stride began with one rider and has had as many as 12, but enrollment recently dropped to six, largely due to its location in rural Washington County, Ms. Flaherty said.

Starting Wednesday, she will begin offering additional lessons Sundays at Morning Star Stables on Ridge Road in South Park. She also hopes to open another satellite location in Eighty Four.

"Ella loves it," Ms. Smith said. "She's not been confident when doing other things and now she's extremely confident with this."

Ella is diagnosed with pervasive development disorder, a form of autism, and with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Ms. Smith and her husband, Scott, found information about In-Stride on the Internet after learning about a similar program while vacationing in Virginia with Ella and her brother, Otis, 8.

[FULL STORY]

Related:

• In-Stride With Therapeutic Riding Inc
• Morning Star Stables
• More Therapeutic Horseback Riding Links

Magic Dolphin Autism Therapy

Swimming With Dolphins - Health Benefits For All

The dolphin's 'healing' powers have been attributed to a range of factors. Some theories believe it is merely the dolphin's affection and tolerance that brings such positive results. Other rumors suggest that the dolphin's natural sonar actually triggers a healing response from within the human body.

Related:

• Dolphin Assisted Therapy: Is DAT Dangerous? (Great Penn & Teller Videos on Dolphins)
  

Autism Service Dogs

Mother of child with autism hopes to raise funds

By Jill Doss-Raines
The Dispatch

Some of life's simplest tasks are impossible for Misty Brown to accomplish with her son, Colby.

She cannot simply run into a grocery store to buy milk or bread if he is with her. A trip to Wal-Mart is out of the question, as are trips to most public places.

Three-year-old Colby has autism, a neurological disorder affecting one in 150 children and 1 in 94 boys. Autism is a complex disability affecting normal functioning of the brain in many areas including social development, language/communication and/or sensory issues.

For some reason, public places are a sure way to begin a meltdown for Colby. He'll throw himself on the floor, screaming until his mom picks him up. Even then, he cannot be comforted most of the time, and Brown has to leave the store.

With low verbal ability, which is a common symptom in children with autism, Colby is not able to communicate to his mom what is so irritating, frightening or overstimulating for him. Is it the lighting, the smell, the feel of the shopping cart? Brown doesn't know. She does know she has to find a way to help Colby deal with public situations, and she thinks she has found it - a service dog.

Unfortunately, the specially trained service dogs for people with autism cost $7,000. And like most treatments for autistic individuals, it is not covered by insurance.

[FULL STORY]

Related:

• Compassionate Paws
• ASDA: Autism Services Dogs of America
• Service Dog Brings Bright Future For Corey
• Service dog changes life for Fairbanks girl with autism
• Family seeks funds for autism service dog
• Service Dog Placements for Children with Autism
• Paws4Ability
• ABC News: Service Dogs May Help Autistic Children
• Michael Ewing’s family fundraising for Autism Service Dog
• Are Service Dogs Austic kids best friends?
• Dogs - a Powerful Medicine for Autistic Children

Local artist joins with Rocky Mountain Riding Therapy as part of \'Year of Giving Back\' : Art Galleries : Boulder Daily Camera

Photo by Cliff Grassmick

Local artist joins with Rocky Mountain Riding Therapy as part of 'Year of Giving Back' : Art Galleries : Boulder Daily Camera

Posted using ShareThis

Hippotherapy (Horse Therapy) for Autism

Horseback program focuses on autistic riders

By JENNIFER FITCH (waynesboro@herald-mail.com)

CHAMBERSBURG, PA.

Holly Bortfeld has watched her autistic son benefit greatly from therapeutic horseback riding over the last decade, but waited several years for a slot to open at the riding center for her 15-year-old daughter, who has Asperger’s syndrome.

While Greta does not communicate verbally much, her mother said the girl’s actions offer the best feedback about the new program at the Franklin County 4-H Therapeutic Riding Center.

“Every Friday, she’s dressed and ready to go,” Holly Bortfeld said.

Summit Endowment established the therapeutic riding center’s new program dedicated to autistic riders. Using contributions from Summit Health, which owns Chambersburg and Waynesboro, Pa., hospitals, the Summit Endowment distributed more than $400,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations this year.

“They’re going to be looking at how the program improves the lives of children with autism,” said Ann Spottswood, Summit Endowment manager.

[FULL STORY]

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and Autism

Animal-assisted therapy

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a type of therapy that involves an animal with specific characteristics becoming a fundamental part of a person's treatment. Animal-assisted therapy is designed to improve the physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning of the patient, as well as provide educational and motivational effectiveness for participants. AAT can be provided on an individual or group basis. During AAT, therapists document records and evaluate the participant's progress.

Many kinds of animals are used in therapy, including dogs, cats, elephants, birds, dolphins, rabbits, lizards, and other small animals. AAT with horses is known specifically as equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP), equine-assisted creative living (EACL), equine-assisted personal development (EAPD) or hippotherapy.

Benefits

People who have pets benefit in various ways, for example, the comfort of physical contact with animals, reducing loneliness, and increased opportunities for meeting others, via the pets. In addition, caring for pets encourages nurturance, responsibility, and adherence to a daily schedule.

Physical

• Improve fine motor skills.
• Improve wheelchair skills.
• Improve standing equilibrioception (balance).

May lower blood pressure, risk for stroke or heartattack, and decrease depression.

Mental

A 2007 meta-analysis found that animal-assisted therapy is associated with moderate effect sizes in improving outcomes in autism spectrum symptoms, medical difficulties, behavioral problems, and emotional well-being.

• Increase verbal interactions between group members.
• Increase attention skills (i.e., paying attention, staying on task).
• Develop leisure/recreation skills.
• Increase self-esteem.
• Reduce anxiety.
• Reduce loneliness.

Educational

• Increase vocabulary.
• Aid in long- or short-term memory.
• Improve knowledge of concepts, such as size, color, etc.

Motivational

• Improve willingness to be involved in a group activity.
• Improve interactions with others.
• Improve interactions with staff.

Criticism

Researchers at Emory University have concluded that Dolphin Assisted Therapy is "...a dangerous fad." and lacks any real efficacy. Furthermore, the practice of capturing dolphins can leave more injured or even dead.

• Equine Guided Education Association
• Animal Behavior Institute - Online certificate program in AAT
• Animal Therapy.net - Animal-Assisted Therapy
• Common Ties - Pet Therapy with a wildcat
• Delta Society - The Human-Animal Health Connection
• Equine-Facilitated Mental Health Assoc. - EFMHA
• Holistic Online - Pet Therapy
• Animal Chaplains - Interfaith Animal Clergy
• Therapet - Animal-Assisted Therapy
• Human-Animal Solutions provides animal-assisted therapy as well as training
• Archive of Personal Accounts of Dolphin Therapy
• Elephant Therapy
• Equine Assisted Psychotherapy - "Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association"
• equine assisted creative living
• Equine Guided Education classes and Equine Guided Educator training
• Animal Assisted Creative Learning
• /Canine Crisis Response/Animal Assisted Crisis Response
• MN LINC - MN Linking Individuals, Nature & Critters - AAT in mental health and education
• Caring Canine Professor Dogs and Doctor Dogs