AAT with Children

Caring for pets encourages nurturance, responsibility, and adherence to a daily schedule in children. The ability to interact with a dog, cat, or other furry friend can have a very positive impact upon the quality of a child's life. Interacting with a pet can sometimes enhance recovery following a
serious illness.

Animal - assisted therapy is often used to help children with emotional or behavioral problems. Playing with an animal can reduce negative behaviors, create a sense of responsibility and even improve a child's ability to participate in therapeutic treatment. Children are often extremely trusting and easily achieve a level of intimacy with animals. This special bond contributes to pets' effectiveness as co-therapists.

When children with developmental disabilities like Autism assist in feeding, grooming, exercising and playing with therapy animals, it promotes the development of motor and organizational skills. But most of all, in caring for the animals these children (whose frame of reference usually does not extend beyond themselves) learn to relate to and communicate better in their interpersonal relationships. The therapy animal provides the child with  the opportunity to experience, internal and external sensations, something that he/she was unable to do with other people. The goal of this process is to improve communication and interaction in interpersonal relationships and with therapists.