Research: Dolphin Therapy: The Playful Way to Work toward the Next Step

Authored by Wermer, M. in EP Magazine, Volume May, Issue , p. 70-72, (2008).

Article summary (posted Aug 26, 2008):

A combination of behavioral therapy and dolphin therapy may be helpful for children with autism.

This article describes dolphin-assisted therapy and its use for children with special needs. The article focuses on the Curacao Dolphin Therapy Center that was designed to meet the needs of children three years and older who have a mental and/or physical disability. More than 400 children with special needs visit the center each year. A lot of time during the program is spent swimming with dolphins. The programs each last two weeks and, in many cases, parents feel that their children have been transformed by the therapy.

Links:

You can access the original abstract and the complete paper is sometimes available for free via Google Scholar (look for entries that say "PDF" or "HTML" on the right side of the page).
applied behavior analysis (ABA), autism, dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT), parent, special needs, swim therapy, therapy, therapy center
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