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