Enhancing Special Education Environments with Animal-Assisted Interventions at Green Chimneys

Kaufmann, Michael E.; Beetz, Andrea; Kinoshita, Miyako; Ross, Samuel

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-801292-5.00015-8

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(39 reference statements)

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“…In addition, for some outcomes, structured interactions involving touching an animal produce greater reductions in distress than interactions that involve speaking to the animal, or even speaking to and touching the animal simultaneously (Vormbrock & Grossberg, 1998). The potential importance of these effects of tactile stimulation comes from the fact that people may actually engage in more touch in the context of interactions with animals than interactions with other people because touch is more socially acceptable in the context of HAI (Kaufmann, Beetz, Kinoshita, & Ross, ). Social conventions often limit the situations in which it is acceptable to touch other people, but those same limitations do not usually apply to HAI.…”

Section: Possible Explanations For the Influence Of Hai On Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Interactions With Animals On Human Psychological Distress

Crossman

2016

J Clin Psychol

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Section: Possible Explanations For the Influence Of Hai On Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Interactions With Animals On Human Psychological Distress

Crossman

2016

J Clin Psychol

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“…One viable treatment option available for teachers, school counsellors and psychologists in educational settings involves the promotion of animal contact (Kaufmann 1997;Chandler 2001). The term 'animalassisted interventions' has been used to describe the formal (animal-assisted therapy) as well as the less formal (animal-assisted activities) treatment options.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating animals in the classroom: The attitudes and experiences of Australian school teachers toward animal-assisted interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Smith

Dale

2016

Pet Behav Sci

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<p>The introduction of animals into school classrooms has been posited as a beneficial intervention for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Whilst evidence that animal-assisted interventions or activities can positively influence classroom behaviour and learning outcomes is emerging, little is known about the experiences and attitudes of those who implement it. We presented a series of open and close-ended questions via an online survey to Australian school teachers working with students on the autistic spectrum. Whether teachers had experienced companion animals in the classroom or not, companion animals were believed to provide a means for improving social skills and engagement within the classroom, as well as decreasing stress, anxiety, and the occurrence of problematic behaviours. Yet, despite an overall positive attitude, and 68% having had animals or pets in their classroom, only 16% of respondents had experience with ‘formal’ animal-assisted interventions. Explanations for why both formal and informal animal-assisted interventions were either not being adopted, or was not currently being considered, included a lack of knowledge, lack of support and resources, reactions of the student in relation to allergies and behaviour, and issues relating to animal welfare. It was also acknowledged that the evidence-base for animal-assisted interventions for students with ASD is currently lacking, and that such interventions were not suitable for all students, or all classroom situations. Moving forward, it is important that the inclusion of companion animals and more formal based animal intervention programs in classrooms be adequately designed and evaluated, because implementing or promoting time consuming and financially costly strategies without the evidence is problematic.</p>

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“…These interventions occur as either a stand-alone intervention or as an adjunct to another treatment, intervention, or therapeutic approach (Morrison, 2007). Many suggest the most effective AAI are adjunctive in nature (Kaufmann et al, 2015;Nimer & Lundahl, 2007;VanFleet et al, 2015), such as AAI included with speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, mental health treatments, and/or special education programming (VanFleet et al, 2015). These commonly partnered therapeutic services are often accessed by children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a clinical population often believed to benefit from AAI (Borgi et al, 2016;Funahashi et al, 2014;Hill et al, 2018;O'Haire, 2017;Prothmann et al, 2009;Silva et al, 2011;Solomon, 2010).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal-assisted Interventions as an Adjunct to ABA Services: Clinician Practices and Perceptions

Ghai

Lehr

Harayama

et al. 2021

Behav Analysis Practice

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Although the popularity of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) continues to increase, an examination of these practices among clinician populations that may incorporate AAI in their clinical services are largely absent from the literature. This study examined the practices and desirability of incorporating animals into ABA services. A total of 544 ABA clinicians completed a web-based survey. Data revealed respondents not only considered incorporating animals into ABA services (n = 307), but almost 20% (n = 107) also reported engaging in this practice. Dogs were reported as the most frequently incorporated animals and an examination of animal sources and prior training revealed substantial variability. Animal incorporation practices were viewed as desirable, feasible, and a majority of respondents reported being interested in AAI implementation. Implications of these results beget a discussion about potential adverse consequences to clients and clinicians that participate in these practices. This discussion includes physical safety risks, financial threats, and potential Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) code violations. Animal welfare concerns, which are often omitted from discussions about AAI, are also discussed to inform clinicians of the added responsibilities that need to be considered. In total, survey results and the accompanying discussion should urge ABA clinicians to pause when considering the incorporation of animals into their clinical practices. No published articles could be found that examine the use of animal incorporation practices within the area of clinical ABA services. Personal and professional risks and animal welfare concerns associated with the utilization of these practices, as identified in this study, should inform programmatic decision-making by clinical practitioners and supervisors interested in engaging in these practices. Results of this survey highlight the potential need for modifications to professional standards and ethical codes of the BACB and state licensing authorities. As this is a novel area of investigation, this article illustrates the need for further empirical evaluation of animal-assisted interventions as an adjunct to ABA services.Keywords applied behavior analysis . board certified behavioranalyst . clinician behaviors . ethics . survey methodology . therapy animals * Jessica L Ghai

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Enhancing Special Education Environments with Animal-Assisted Interventions at Green Chimneys

Cited by 9 publications

References 37 publications

Effects of Interactions With Animals On Human Psychological Distress

Effects of Interactions With Animals On Human Psychological Distress

Integrating animals in the classroom: The attitudes and experiences of Australian school teachers toward animal-assisted interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Animal-assisted Interventions as an Adjunct to ABA Services: Clinician Practices and Perceptions

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