Literature Review

Literature Review

Dolphin Assisted therapy gives those around the world the opportunity to help improve the symptoms of autism. In the article “Effectiveness of Dolphin- Assisted Therapy as a Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Disabilities,” by Tracy L Humphries  investigates the “effectiveness of dolphin- assisted therapy for improving cognitive, physical, and social-emotional behaviors of young children with disabilities that come along with autism”.  Those that are affected with autism, whether it is the patient or the family members know all too well that it is very difficult to perform daily tasks when you are suffering from this disease.  Family members of autistic children are not able to receive many of the treatments that are available because of the high cost of therapy. This does not allow them to minimize the effects of autism.  Those that have the resources available to be apart of these therapies can progress and minimize the effects of this disease.

What is Dolphin Assisted Therapy?

 Dolphin Assisted Therapy is not a new fad therapy that has recently emerged. In a case study by Dr. Karsten Brensing, she explains that this therapy has been in existence for about 20 years.  Dolphin Assisted Therapy is taking a child or adult that suffers from autism and putting them into an environment surrounded by dolphins.  It is said that the therapy can help with many different mental and physical issues that we all witness on a daily basis.  The therapy helps with post traumatic stress disorders, autism, Down’s syndrome, cancer, and other neurological, physical, and psychological issues.  In “Dolphin-assisted therapy: changes in interaction and communication between children with severe disabilities and their caregivers” by Erwin Breitenbach explains the process of Dolphin Assisted Therapy is done in three steps consisting of sixteen different therapy sessions.  The first step is the recreation where the families of autism stay in a resort type area and do activities that are administered and organized by the staff of a Dolphin Assisted Therapy center, (Breitenbach). The second step is the counseling which the entire family takes part.  The families are in a therapeutic session at the beginning and the end of the each treatment week.  During the therapeutic session with dolphins, the families and the counselors view the child’s behavior with the dolphin and focus on working with improving their behavioral attitudes in other environments outisde of the Dolphin Center. (Breitenbach) The third step is the interaction with the dolphins. Wth this step they get introductions into how to treat the mammal and are able to interact with them in thirty minute sessions.  In the article by Tracy L. Humphrey’s she states the ultimate goal of dolphin assisted therapy is to improve the skills of the child. The child has different tasks to accomplish, Tracey Humphries recognizes  in her article, “tsks they have to accomplish is a fine motor task, producing a language behavior, and with the therapeutic session they get to interact with a dolphin when the can give the correct motor, cognitive, or language response” (Humphrey’s 2) With this process along with the normal daily therapy that a child or adult suffering from autism the therapy would only help those suffering with autism. There is no evidence that it will do any harm along with the normal behavioral therapies.

What are the Benefits of Dolphin Assisted Therapy?

The benefits seen by parents and family members will give somewhat of hope on the progression of their family members. Many of the therapists that are a part of the Dolphin Assisted Therapy sessions are speech, occupational, or physical therapists that adjust the sessions to the different types of mental and physical needs that need to be met with the child. The benefits stated in Tracy L. Humphrey’s article  is that Dolphin Assisted Therapy will improve language, behavior, cognitive processing, attention, motivation to learn and certain medical conditions. In research there are many different benefits that can be achieved with therapy, the psychotherapeutic benefits according the article “Usage of the Dolphin Assisted Therapy in Rehabilitation of Children” from the International Institute of Dolphin Therapy that the benefits from psychotherapeutic benefits are “increasing of vitality and recovery motivation, sensor stimulation (fixed by electroencephalographic sensors, increasing of self-estimation, overcoming of the encapsulation and deficiency of positive emotions, and increasing of communicative production” (Institute of Dolphin Therapy). In the case study by Dr. Karsten Brensing  she states that “A further experiment indicated that children learned two to ten times faster and with greater retention when working with dolphins”(Brensing, 4) The therapy would only benefit the patients.

What Is the Research?

   Much of the research that has been done has come from the therapy centers that provide the Dolphin Assisted Therapy and there has been other research that has been done. The opposing research that has been done has not benefited the therapy itself.  Much of the research that has been done has not had a controlled environment and has many small sample sizes to study.  The research that has benefited the Dolphin Assisted Therapies of this 75% of the parents that have autistic children noticed an improvement in their children, and with the centers that offer Dolphin Assisted Therapy stated that there was a 90% effective rate in the therapy that they offer. (Promoting Health & Wellness through Dolphin Therapy) The research that Dr. Karsten Brensing has stated in her case study is that “Based on a study with approximately 1500 patients, a positive influence on child’s autonomic homeostasis and psycho emotional status could be observed” (Brensing). There is minimal but benefical research to support this therapy.

Conclusion

 Despite the many different therapies that are offered for families that are affected by autism this would only benefit as a compliment with other behavioral therapies. The therapy allows for the child to meet goals to interact with the dolphin, which only encourages them to work hard at the therapy.