| Dolphin assisted therapy research is a therapeutic | | | | etc. |
| method used mostly with special needs people. This | | | | Before sharing with you the benefits of such a |
| type of therapy is using both professional help as well | | | | therapy, I intend to set some things straight concerning |
| as well trained dolphins. This is a mix between | | | | the inconvenient mentioned above this paragraph. First, |
| occupational therapy, physiotherapy and animal | | | | often, the dolphins that are trained and used for this |
| therapy. This type of therapy is also used to feed | | | | purpose are born in captivity and not in the wild. Also, |
| results to research as to discover both benefits and | | | | even in the wild, dolphins are both curious and naturally |
| inconvenient to using this style of therapy and if the | | | | friendly to humans, as long as they do not feel |
| benefits outweighing the inconvenient or not. This way, | | | | threatened but even in this case, they do not always |
| researchers will be able eventually to decide if this | | | | display aggressively. In fact, not long ago, a dolphin was |
| style of therapy should be discontinued or not. | | | | curious and friendly with men despite the fact that |
| What kind of exercises can be done during dolphin | | | | they attacked it several times, and stabbed it to death. |
| assisted therapy? Well, you have two kinds of ways | | | | And don't forget that these dolphins are well trained by |
| to use dolphins' assistance in this type of therapy: in | | | | dolphins trainers which were professionally trained by |
| and out of the water. But first, therapy must be done in | | | | following a dolphins trainers education course. The |
| the water to allow the person to build a relationship | | | | dolphins were trained for hours, days and even weeks |
| with the dolphin. | | | | before being allowed near patients. Plus, the therapist |
| How is the patient able to build a relationship? The | | | | and the trainer are both ready to intervene as they |
| therapist is using various exercises to allow both the | | | | are with the patient and the dolphin at all times. |
| dolphin and the patient. For example, ball games, being | | | | Now, let's look at the benefits. First of all, dolphins are |
| pulled by the dolphin which gives the patient a ride | | | | known to not only detect vibrations and understand |
| while holding its fin, giving acrobatic displays and doing | | | | the human's mind better than anticipated at first, but |
| some exercises in water can be various ways to | | | | also can be gentle, protective and use several |
| motivate a patient to achieve educational activities, etc. | | | | techniques to facilitate communication. They are |
| These activities are done out of the water and when | | | | known to be friendly and fascinate most people. Being |
| goals are achieved, the patient is rewarded by | | | | without fur, dolphins are also easier to work with as |
| interacting directly with the dolphin while in the water. | | | | they do not affect allergies. Research has already |
| Also, occupational and physiotherapy exercises can be | | | | proven on several occasions that during dolphin |
| done to develop certain motor skills on both fine and | | | | assisted therapy, patients improved, developed or |
| gross levels. It also helps the patient to strengthen their | | | | acquired abilities that were sometimes unknown even |
| muscles. Several success stories happened in patients | | | | to their own families. |
| participating to dolphin assisted therapy. | | | | This therapy is also used in special cases such as |
| What are the inconvenient of using this type of animal | | | | depression, Dawn Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, |
| therapy? Well, some people, especially groups | | | | Partial Paralysis and much more. In some cases of |
| defending animal rights happened to be against this | | | | patients suffering from Autism, for example, non-verbal |
| style of therapy mainly because of wild dolphins being | | | | patients were known to start to develop their speech. |
| caught and trained in captivity. Others say that being a | | | | In physical conditions, some patients were known to |
| wild animal, dolphins can be as unpredictable and may | | | | develop some motor skills which were thought |
| be even dangerous. Also, this type of therapy is not | | | | impossible to some physicians and specialists. |
| only expensive which means that in general people | | | | Dolphin assisted therapy research did not only offer |
| can hardly afford and if they do then they have limited | | | | success, improvement of the quality of life of patients |
| amount of sessions that are made available to them | | | | but also to their families. That is why I believe that this |
| but also, the locations are distant and far apart. This | | | | type of animal therapy is crucial to patients, especially if |
| means that besides the bill for the sessions, you must | | | | they love animals such as dolphins. Why not use the |
| also pay for travel expenses, hotel rooms, restaurants, | | | | positive influence of dolphins to help your loved ones? |