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antipodi
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Joined: 25 Jan 2006
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Wed Aug 23, 2006 4:13 pm
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 The healing power of animals on Children
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The healing power of animals on Children
  
From the earliest of years animals fascinate children...Guinea Pigs ..Rabbits Cats ...Dogs and birds ..just watching their movements , feeling their softness and man cuddles are attractive to most kids. The stimulation alone is more than most toys and earl childhood aides. It seems they have an intrinsic value in sharing affection, feelings, and defraying fear.
These same attributes of stimulation and bonding are also a major benfit to Ill, infirmed, hospilised children.
Though it is believed animals seem to bestow these values, many arguments for and against animal assisted therapy rages
The main Critiscism is that there has been a lack of high quality research with quantitve data to back up the claims.
Research
More research is needed and since these criticisms were made, more studies have been published. Recent research and the action and affection of animals in everyday settings, seem to point not only to the benefit of animals to children, but also to a "sixth sense" that animals, from dogs to horses, have on the real needs of kids.
Limond, Bradshaw, and Cormack, (1997) demonstrated in a good scientific study that children with severe learning disabilities (Down's Syndrome) were both more attentive and more responsive in the presence of a real dog (in comparison to an inanimate toy dog). Hansen, Messinger, Baun, and Megel (1999) in a quantified scientific study, found that the presence of a companion dog could lower the behavioral distress of children during a laboratory-stimulated physical examination. They suggested that companion animals might be useful in a variety of healthcare settings to decrease procedure-induced distress in children.
Woolverton studied the responses of children to the presence of an animal during neuromuscular examination. She observed, "It is apparent to all who have participated that having an animal as part of the clinic has provided a great deal of help to patient and staff alike." In an anecdote from her study, a dog is introduced to a young girl crying as a doctor manipulates her stiff legs. The affectionate dog snuggles up to her on the exam table. "It really doesn't matter now [to the child] what is going on at the other end of her body as long as this warm, friendly dog is close to her," Woolverton noted.
Therapy Animals Answer the Call
Cathy Bones, Pet Therapy Coordinator, Shriners Hospital for Children, Sacramento CA, feels the response of kids to animals daily. Tommy, a 9-year-old burn patient, a smart, courageous child, though pained from his injuries, "is always glad to see the animals," Bones remarks. "He loves dogs, he misses his" (which was lost in the fire that maimed Tommy). "He will come and play with whatever dog is brought to him. Sometimes he just wants to sit and stroke the dog, whispering his secrets to the dog. He says that the dogs don't care about his face and try to lick his face through the mask he wears to prevent scar tissue from forming."
John, a 6-year-old, with bilateral radial displasia (the bones of his forearm are diminished) enjoys Scooch the Pooch. Though some people are uncomfortable around John, Scooch, a basset hound, "adores being touched by John, rolling over so that he can more easily reach her tummy," Bones notes. John spent about 45 minutes petting and stroking Scooch, telling everyone who came into the clinic area, "look, she likes it – she likes ME!"
Carlos, an 8-year-old patient, is almost beside himself when Butterfly, a 20-lb. lop rabbit, visits. He hugs, kisses and cuddles, while chattering nonstop in Spanish. Katie, another young patient, wrote of her experiences with dogs at the hospital. "These dogs were so well behaved … I think my favorite dog was Abby, a Shih Tzu. She gave me lots of kisses. All of these dogs made me feel so much better – I think for me it was the best medicine of all. This is a great program – you'll never know how much I enjoyed my visits from the dogs."
Service Animals Make a Difference
"A high-school graduate with spinal cord injury has a service dog, a Golden Retriever-Border Collie mix, named Rosie. One night as the girl slept, a huge storm knocked out the power, which disabled the intercom between her parents' room and hers. The girl needed her mother so she sent her service dog to get her. Rosie first turned on the girl's bedroom light, opened her door, and then proceeded to turn on the lights along the way upstairs to get Mom. Mom's door was shut so Rosie opened the door, turned on the bedroom light and licked Mom's face until she awoke. Mom was surprised to see the lights on as she ran downstairs to see what her daughter needed."
This mother was initially just expecting the service dog to be a companion for her daughter. In reality, Rosie gives Mom peace of mind. She's comfortable running errands, leaving her daughter home alone, knowing that Rosie can get her out of the house in an emergency.
While more research takes place on the value of animals to children, Scooch the Pooch, Abby, Rosie, and Butterfly, along with their people partners, quietly and affectionately continue to do their job.
_________________
Antipodi
May one day man and Animals live together in harmony and peace
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