Abstract
BackgroundInteraction programs involving dolphins and patients with various pathologies or developmental disorders (e.g., cerebral palsy, intellectual impairment, autism, atopic dermatitis, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression) have stimulated interest in their beneficial effects and therapeutic potential. However, the true effects observed in different clinical and psycho-educational setups are still controversial.ResultsAn evaluation protocol consisting of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Psychoeducational Profile-Revised (PEP-R), Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC), Theory of Mind Tasks (ToM Tasks) and a custom-made Interaction Evaluation Grid (IEG) to evaluate behavioural complexity during in-pool interactions was applied to 10 children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The ATEC, ToM Tasks and CARS results show no benefits of the dolphin interaction program. Interestingly, the PEP-R suggests some statistically significant effects on ‘Overall development score’, as well as on their ‘Fine motor development’, ‘Cognitive performance’ and ‘Cognitive verbal development’. Also, a significant evolution in behavioural complexity was shown by the IEG.ConclusionsThis study does not support significant developmental progress resulting from the dolphin interaction program.
Highlights
Interaction programs involving dolphins and patients with various pathologies or developmental disorders have stimulated interest in their beneficial effects and therapeutic potential
Even though stringent methodological criteria should be the norm in science, it is impossible to observe the effect of Dolphin Assisted Therapy” (DAT)-alone in clinical scenarios
Changes in the PEP-R’s Overall development score, Developmental sub-scales and Behavioural sub-scales are presented on Figure 3
Summary
Interaction programs involving dolphins and patients with various pathologies or developmental disorders (e.g., cerebral palsy, intellectual impairment, autism, atopic dermatitis, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression) have stimulated interest in their beneficial effects and therapeutic potential. Even though stringent methodological criteria should be the norm in science (see, for example, Marino & Lilienfeld [11]), it is impossible to observe the effect of DAT-alone in clinical scenarios (i.e., treating ASD children only with dolphins, ceasing all other therapies and developmental programs they may be following). Children with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have reduced capacity for social interactions, such as mutual gaze, pointing, showing objects of interest and answering back when called [17]. They show a lack of emotional resonance that disturbs the translation and interpretation of the emotions of others. These limitations are linked to their difficulties in the establishment of primary and secondary intersubjectivities, conducive to a richer communication and to the development of language [18,19,20,21,22]
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