Information regarding AAT & AAA Activities

What is animal-assisted therapy?

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a goal-directed intervention in which an animal is an integral part of the treatment process. AAT is directed and/or delivered and documented by a health/human service professional with a specific clinical goal for a particular individual in mind.

According to Animal-Assisted Therapy--Therapeutic Interventions, AAT is not a style of therapy, like rational-emotive therapy, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, etc. Instead, a therapist who utilizes AAT operates from his/her professional foundation and facilitates change in a client through the client’s interactions with an animal.

Physical therapists, occupational therapists, certified therapeutic recreation specialists, recreational therapists, teachers, social workers, and others can incorporate AAT into their work and treatments in a multitude of ways.

Animal-assisted activities (AAA) also provide social, motivational, educational, and/or recreational benefits for people during interactions. These activities do not have to be overseen by healthcare professionals and do not work toward particular clinical goals. AAA often occurs in meet-and-greet sessions in a variety of settings and can be administered in groups or with individuals.


Who benefits from AAT?

Patients and clients in a limitless spectrum of institutional settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care, mental health facilities, and schools, enjoy the benefits of AAT. In addition to participating in AAT in institutional settings, people benefit from therapeutic sessions with horses, dolphins, and farm animals in sites designed for these interactions.

General observations of a variety of therapy sessions indicate the presence of an animal may make sessions more pleasurable and productive and improve therapeutic outcomes. Clients of all ages with all types of medical conditions experience calming effects, brightening of mood and increased motivation when an animal is present during treatment. Participants in studies involving companion animals (pets) show improvement in self-esteem, psychological well being, and community integration.
Evidence indicates that particular populations, such as children with autism and people with dementia-related diseases like Alzheimer’s, benefit tremendously from AAT. For example, a study on children with autism (Redefer & Goodman 1989) suggest that a dog when used as part of a child’s therapy can have a strong impact on behavior resulting in an increase in prosocial behavior and decrease in self-absorption.

Therapy animals can indirectly help the staff of healthcare facilities. While animal visits are usually intended to help patients and clients, these visits tend to lift the spirits of staff and at least temporarily take their focus off of the emotionally difficult parts of their work. The same positive physiological and psychological effects experienced by patients and clients can also impact staff and employees.
Animal-assisted therapy is also being incorporated into schools and libraries through reading programs for children who have had difficulty learning to read. According to the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D®.) an Intermountain Therapy Animals program, as children read aloud to animals, they tend to be less intimidated than when reading to another person, display greater confidence, and forget about their limitations.
**Teachers notice improved reading scores, increased confidence, improved self-esteem, and decreased absenteeism from the children who participate in reading programs with therapy animals.

Another therapeutic application of animals occurs in prisons and correctional facilities through programs in which animals are taken from animal rescue organizations, receive training from inmates, and are placed into the community as service animals to help people with disabilities. Programs like these aid in the rehabilitation of inmates as they learn pet industry vocation skills, such as training, grooming, and boarding animals, which they can to apply in employment when they resume their lives outside of prison. Inmates also benefit from the important opportunity to give back to the community, and experience the acceptance and unconditional love of animals and the healing power of the human-animal bond.




Carol M. Ellia, M.H.R.
Master of Human Relations- The University of Oklahoma
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, Wright State University, and
Associates of Science, Criminal Justice, Cape Cod Community College

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