Animal-Assisted Intervention in Speech-Language Pathology: Practical, Clinical, and Theoretical Considerations

Abstract

Interest in animal-assisted interventions within the field of communication sciences and disorders is growing. As more clinicians become interested in engaging in animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and more researchers begin to study its potential benefits, it will be critical for all stakeholders to demonstrate knowledge of the standards and qualifications for service delivery as well as the challenges that must be met in developing an evidence base for clinical practice. This review highlights some of the foundational information relevant to AAT in the context of speech-language pathology.

Keywords

animal-assisted therapy - communication sciences and disorders - therapy animal-handler teams

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
08. Februar 2022

• References

• 1 Levinson BM. The dog as a “co-therapist”. Ment Hyg 1962; 46: 59-65
• 2 Levinson BM. Pets: a special technique in child psychotherapy. Ment Hyg 1964; 48: 243-248
• 3 Hediger K, Thommen S, Wagner C, Gaab J, Hund-Georgiadis M. Effects of animal-assisted therapy on social behaviour in patients with acquired brain injury: a randomised controlled trial. Sci Rep 2019; 9 (01) 5831
• 4 Hediger K, Hund-Georgiadis M. Animal-assisted therapy in the view of staff members before and after implementation in a rehabilitation clinic. Hum Anim Interact Bull 2017; 5 (02) 61-73
• 5 Linder DE, Siebens HC, Mueller MK, Gibbs DM, Freeman LM. Animal-assisted interventions: a national survey of health and safety policies in hospitals, eldercare facilities, and therapy animal organizations. Am J Infect Control 2017; 45 (08) 883-887
• 6 Matuszek S. Animal-facilitated therapy in various patient populations: systematic literature review. Holist Nurs Pract 2010; 24 (04) 187-203
• 7 McCullough A, Ruehrdanz A, Jenkins M. The use of dogs in hospital settings. HABRI Central Brief; 2016
• 8 Muñoz Lasa S, Máximo Bocanegra N, Valero Alcaide R, Atín Arratibel MA, Varela Donoso E, Ferriero G. Animal assisted interventions in neurorehabilitation: a review of the most recent literature. Neurologia 2015; 30 (01) 1-7
• 9 Thodberg K, Berget B, Lidfors L. Research in the use of animals as a treatment for humans. Anim Front 2014; 4 (03) 43-48
• 10 The IAHAIO definitions for animal assisted intervention and guidelines for wellness of animals involved in AAI. In: Fine A. ed. Handbook of Animal-Assisted Therapy: Foundations and Guidelines for Animal-Assisted Interventions. 5th ed. London: Elsevier; 2019: 499-504
• 11 Pet Partners. Standards of Practice in Animal-Assisted Interventions. 2018 . Accessed December 30, 2021 at: https://petpartners.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Standards-of-Practice-Book-Web.pdf
• 12 Zamir T. The moral basis of animal-assisted therapy. Soc Anim 2006; 14 (02) 179-199
• 13 Ng Z, Albright J, Fine A, Peralta J. Our ethical and moral responsibility: ensuring the welfare of therapy animals. In: Fine A. ed. Handbook of Animal-Assisted Therapy: Foundations and Guidelines for Animal-Assisted Interventions. 5th ed. London: Elsevier; 2019: 175-198
• 14 O'Haire ME. Animal-assisted intervention for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic literature review. J Autism Dev Disord 2013; 43 (07) 1606-1622
• 15 Kazdin AE. Methodological standards and strategies for establishing the evidence-base of animal-assisted interventions. In: Fine A. ed. Handbook of Animal-Assisted Therapy: Foundations and Guidelines for Animal-Assisted Interventions. 5th ed. London: Elsevier; 2019: 451-464
• 16 Beetz AM. Theories and possible processes of action in animal assisted interventions. Appl Dev Sci 2017; 21 (02) 139-149
• 17 Gocheva V, Hund-Georgiadis M, Hediger K. Effects of animal-assisted therapy on concentration and attention span in patients with acquired brain injury: a randomized controlled trial. Neuropsychology 2018; 32 (01) 54-64
• 18 Beetz A, Uvnäs-Moberg K, Julius H, Kotrschal K. Psychosocial and psychophysiological effects of human-animal interactions: the possible role of oxytocin. Front Psychol 2012; 3: 234
• 19 Aoki J, Iwahashi K, Ishigooka J. et al. Evaluation of cerebral activity in the prefrontal cortex in mood [affective] disorders during animal-assisted therapy (AAT) by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS): a pilot study. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2012; 16 (03) 205-213
• 20 Odendaal JSJ, Meintjes RA. Neurophysiological correlates of affiliative behaviour between humans and dogs. Vet J 2003; 165 (03) 296-301
• 21 Gee NR, Mueller MK, Curl AL. Human-animal interaction and older adults: an overview. Front Psychol 2017; 8: 1416
• 22 LaFrance C, Garcia LJ, Labreche J. The effect of a therapy dog on the communication skills of an adult with aphasia. J Commun Disord 2007; 40 (03) 215-224
• 23 O'Haire M. Research on animal-assisted intervention and autism spectrum disorder, 2012-2015. Appl Dev Sci 2017; 21 (03) 200-216
• 24 Berry A, Borgi M, Francia N, Alleva E, Cirulli F. Use of assistance and therapy dogs for children with autism spectrum disorders: a critical review of the current evidence. J Altern Complement Med 2013; 19 (02) 73-80
• 25 Adams DL. Animal-assisted enhancement of speech therapy: a case study. Anthrozoos 1997; 10 (01) 53-56
• 26 Bernabei V, De Ronchi D, La Ferla T. et al. Animal-assisted interventions for elderly patients affected by dementia or psychiatric disorders: a review. J Psychiatr Res 2013; 47 (06) 762-773
• 27 Rodrigo-Claverol M, Malla-Clua B, Marquilles-Bonet C. et al. Animal-assisted therapy improves communication and mobility among institutionalized people with cognitive impairment. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17 (16) 5899
• 28 Macauley BL. Animal-assisted therapy for persons with aphasia: a pilot study. J Rehabil Res Dev 2006; 43 (03) 357-366
• 29 Anderson HK, Hayes SL, Smith JP. Animal assisted therapy in pediatric speech-language therapy with a preschool child with severe language delay: a single-subject design. Internet J Allied Health Sci Pract 2019; 17 (03) 28
• 30 Grigore AA, Rusu AS. Interaction with a therapy dog enhances the effects of Social Story method in autistic children. Soc Anim 2014; 22 (03) 241-261
• 31 O'Haire ME, Guérin NA, Kirkham AC. Animal-assisted intervention for trauma: a systematic literature review. Front Psychol 2015; 6: 1121
• 32 Morrison ML. Health benefits of animal-assisted interventions. Complement Health Pract Rev 2007; 12 (01) 51-62
• 33 Crossman MK, Herzog HH. The research challenge: threats to validity of human-animal interaction intervention studies and suggestions for improvement. In: Fine A. ed. Handbook of Animal-Assisted Therapy: Foundations and Guidelines for Animal-Assisted Interventions. 5th ed. London: Elsevier; 2019: 479-486
• 34 López-Cepero J. Current status of animal-assisted interventions in scientific literature: A critical comment on their internal validity. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10 (06) 985
• 35 Banks MR, Willoughby LM, Banks WA. Animal-assisted therapy and loneliness in nursing homes: use of robotic versus living dogs. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2008; 9 (03) 173-177
• 36 Boyer VE, Mundschenk NA. Using animal-assisted therapy to facilitate social communication: a pilot study. Canad J Speech Lang Pathol 2014; 38 (01) 26-38
• 37 Charnetski CJ, Riggers S, Brennan FX. Effect of petting a dog on immune system function. Psychol Rep 2004; 95 (3, Pt 2): 1087-1091
• 38 Marino L. Construct validity of animal-assisted therapy and activities: How important is the animal in AAT?. Anthrozoos 2012; 25 (01) 139-151
• 39 Whyte J, Hart T. It's more than a black box; it's a Russian doll: defining rehabilitation treatments. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2003; 82 (08) 639-652
• 40 Hart T. Treatment definition in complex rehabilitation interventions. Neuropsychol Rehabil 2009; 19 (06) 824-840
• 41 McCune S, Kruger KA, Griffin JA. et al. Strengthening the foundation of human-animal interaction research: Recent developments in a rapidly growing field. In: Fine A. ed. Handbook of Animal-Assisted Therapy: Foundations and Guidelines for Animal-Assisted Interventions. 5th ed. London: Elsevier; 2019: 487-498
• 42 Maujean A, Pepping CA, Kendall E. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of animal-assisted therapy on psychosocial outcomes. Anthrozoos 2015; 28 (01) 23-36
• 43 Kamioka H, Okada S, Tsutani K. et al. Effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Complement Ther Med 2014; 22 (02) 371-390
• 44 Wijker C, Kupper N, Leontjevas R, Spek A, Enders-Slegers MJ. The effects of animal assisted therapy on autonomic and endocrine activity in adults with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2021; 72: 36-44