JAASEP WINTER 2008 Part 3 of 7
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It has been the opinion of many professionals that animals have the power to heal the human spirit through unconditional love and unending devotion. Yet, it seems serious research providing empirical evidence into the effects of animal-assisted therapy on patients and other human subjects has just begun. Positive interaction with animals is not a new phenomenon. It has been a part of Greek, Egyptian, Roman and many eastern and western cultures for thousands of years. The first documented case of accidental animal-assisted therapy is credited to child psychologist, Boris Levinson. In 1962 he discovered that he was able to make significant progress with a disturbed child when his dog Jingles attended therapy sessions (Levinson, 1969). Since Levinson‘s discovery, other psychologists, veterinarians, doctors, teachers and dog owners have experienced the human-animal bond and have recognized that it is relevant in the treatment of patients and students who are in need of physical and emotional healing. Spadafori (2005) believed dogs have the ability to touch people on a level that provides emotional support. ―No one who has ever watched one [therapy dog] work can doubt the difference they make‖ (Spadafori, 2005, p. H5). Can a wet nose bring joy?
Abstract
This single-subject action research project examines the effects of animal-assisted therapy on the self-esteem and classroom behaviors of a student with an emotional/behavioral disorder. An 18- year-old male attending a special education school in northeastern St. Paul participated in animal-assisted therapy research for four weeks. Quantitative data were collected from the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and classroom behavior tracking sheets. The findings of this research reveal an increase in the student’s self-esteem and an improvement in the student’s classroom behaviors. The results of this study provide important evidence for teachers of students with emotional/behavioral disorders to further consider animal-assisted therapy as a tool to improve the social skills and self-esteem of students.