The Effect of Dolphin-Assisted Therapy on the Cognitive and Social Development of Children with Down Syndrome

Abstract

Cognitive and speech development are delayed in children with Down syndrome (DS). We investigated the effect of dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT), a form of animal-assisted intervention, on the development of speech/language and social behavior in children with DS. We hypothesized that DAT would improve the social and cognitive functions with respect to verbalization and thereby promote task performance. A semi-crossover design was used to study 45 children with DS: 18 received a weekly one-hour session of DAT for 6 weeks (group A), 12 children (group B) started with swimming pool sessions (control period of 6 weeks) and thereafter received DAT, and 17 children (group C) were put on a waiting list (control period of 6 weeks) before receiving DAT. The parameters "verbalization," "impulsiveness," "proper understanding of rules," "recognition of persons," and "establishing contacts" were measured using the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with Severe Retardation (MESSIER) before and after DAT, as well as before and after each of the control periods. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant changes for any of the variables during the control periods (swimming pool, waiting list). Following the period of DAT there was a significant improvement in "verbalization" and "recognition of persons," while "impulsiveness" decreased. No significant changes were found for the other parameters. "Verbalization" continued to increase during the follow-up period of 6 months, while "recognition of persons" slightly decreased. The results of this study provide support for our hypothesis. Through improvements in verbalization and the recognition of persons, the execution of tasks among children with DS receiving DAT improved. Additional studies are needed to determine if these positive effects of DAT are long-term.

Advances in Mental Health Care: Five N = 1 Studies on the Effects of the Robot Seal Paro in Adults With Severe Intellectual Disabilities

“…Studies on AAT in ID show mixed results. Beneficial effects during animal interaction have been reported (e.g., Esteves & Stokes, 2008), but the advantage of AAT compared to control conditions and the generalization outside the treatment setting are questionable (e.g., Fung & Leung, 2014 but see Griffioen & Enders-Slegers, 2014). Moreover, some practical issues arise when using animals within mental health-care institutions, such as caretaking, cleaning, allergies and safety issues.…”

Animal-assisted interventions: Possibilities and limitations of implementation in young persons with developmental disabilities and behavioral disorders

“…Ponovljena merenja kod grupe dece koja su koristila DAT utvrdila su značajno poboljšanje u parametrima "verbalizacija" i "prepoznavanje osoba", dok je parametar "impulsivnost" pokazivao umanjenje nepoželjnog ponašanja. Razlike između grupe koja je samo plivala i one koja je čekala na primenu tretmana nisu otkrivene (Griffioen & Enders-Slegers, 2014). Nemački istraživači su primenili DAT kod 47 dece sa ometenošću (Daunov sindrom, telesna i intelektualna ometenost), ali su uključili i njihove roditelje i pedagoške asistente.…”

Delfinų terapijos ilgalaikio efekto vertinimas: tėvų apklausos duomenys

“…TĖVŲ APKLAUSOS DUOMENYS 2,4,5,7,11). Autoriai nurodo, kad po DT pagerėja negalią turinčių vaikų kalba, komunikacinė elgsena, motorinės funkcijos (5).…”

“…1 Klaipėdos universiteto Psichologijos katedra, 2 Klaipėdos universiteto Slaugos katedra, 3 Lietuvos jūrų muziejaus Delfinų terapijos centras 2,4,5,7,11). Autoriai nurodo, kad po DT pagerėja negalią turinčių vaikų kalba, komunikacinė elgsena, motorinės funkcijos (5).…”