Dogs, horses, and dolphins are arguably the most popular choices when it comes to animal-assisted therapy as a modality to facilitate healing and rehabilitation. They have all proven to be effective supports in the treatment and assistance of children and young adults with disabilities over the years. "The success of these therapies has prompted an increasing number of clinical facilities to use trained animals in rehabilitation and educate staff members," says Alwin Baumann, spokesperson of the German Alliance for Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation (Bündnis Kinder-und Jugendreha e.V.).
Christiana Hennemann, Executive Director of rehaKIND - Internationale Fördergemeinschaft Kinder- und Jugend Rehabilitation e.V. (International Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Support Program), knows that animal therapy has a variety of benefits and can help people of all ages. It is especially successful on opposites of the age spectrum, meaning children and the elderly. "Children are open and accepting of animals and they respect their idiosyncrasies – of course, this must always be in a supervised setting because animal helpers are ultimately still animals. However, once they have overcome their fear of animals, children and young adults can reap many benefits."
But it's not just animals that can make the treatment process more effective and often less daunting for children and young adults. Virtual therapy programs and gamification also enjoy increasing popularity and have a motivational power on rehabilitation: "Children and young adults have been raised as 'digital natives' and respond well to playfulness and digital tools. This gives them more incentives to embark on therapy and increases motivation," Hennemann speaks from experience. In an interview with REHACARE.com, she talks about other trends and developments she has noticed over the past two decades.