Assisted therapy dogs to children with neurodevelopmental disorders

When Roberto and I found each other I thought that Bubu would be our only link, because he is an expert in dogs and I do research about learning, topic by which we share articles about canine cognition and both assumed that we could learn from our fields.

But when we continue talking, we discover that we have a point at which we can deepen and share: therapy where dogs he help to find a balance to children with any kind of neurodevelopmental disorder are used in children with  a regular basis at the United States, but is little known in Latin America.
 

Ricardo Arjona wrote a song tittle “nocturnal Animal” and explains clearly why dogs can be the best friends this song says:
 

“… I bought myself a few friends
a girlfriend and a dog,
friends and girlfriend left
I'll just take the dog
because It has no prejudices
and accept me as I am"

 

This is perhaps the reason why dogs and humans have been able to create links of life, the dog depends on the human to cover their basic needs and human beings depends on the dog to have a cable that anchor us to the ground.

 

In the case of children with developmental disorders, it seems that prejudice fills their lives. People focus on everything what they can’t do, but do not value what they are capable to do, this is the place where the dogs come into action and support efforts in the areas of socialization, learning and control of stress.

 

Martin and Farnum in the year of 2002 carried out a study which evaluated the effects of interaction between dogs and children with neurodevelopmental disorders and what they found in that this relationship "could" have positive effects on children however, although their study was not conclusive, opened the door to other researchers.

 

Such is the case of Sams, Fortney and Willenbring in 2006 who could observe that social interactions and the use of language developed quickly and effectively in a group of children who had a dog as a therapist.

 

As in many other therapeutic issues, there will always be persons seeking to achieve economic benefits, it is why arising in the United States by various associations that try to regulate the handling of dogs, no lose sight of therapy there is no 100% effective and in this case, families must accept the responsibility that implies having these canine therapists at home.

 

In the next few weeks we will be discussing this topic, because the idea is not to run to buy a dog, there are characteristics of the child and the dog to be evaluated before putting them into interaction.

 

Want to read more about the topic? here we share the artice ofMartin and Farnum and here there is another from Sams, Fortney and Willenbring.

 

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