Paper and video completed in partial requirement for the course, Colloquium: Ethics in Science and Society.
AssociatedEntity
Role
Teacher
Name
Julie M. Fagan
Affiliation
SEBS - Animal Science, Rutgers University
Type
Course
Label
Colloquium: Ethics in Science and Society
TitleInfo
Title
Dogs are More than Just Pets
Abstract (type = abstract)
An investigation on animal-assisted therapy and its benefits on children with ADHD as well as developing children without a learning disability
Abstract (type = summary)
The prevalence of ADHD and other learning disabilities in children lately has become what some would call an epidemic. In New Jersey alone, 9% of school aged children battle ADHD in our schools. Unfortunately, current solutions such as stimulant medications pose threats to child health and development with side effects such as decreased appetite and the chance of dependence; and also are not financially effective for families. Animal-assisted therapy is a unique alternative to stimulant medications in reference to managing ADHD, as well as a healthy practice for children who are not diagnosed with a learning disability. AAT promotes child development by instilling confidence, companionship, and responsibility in both normal and ADHD children. To encourage the theory of animal-assisted therapy, Certified Therapy Dogs were brought into the classrooms of young children in order to trigger creativity and learning. The students continued to go about their daily tasks while the dogs were present, making them as natural as possible. Based on student and student teacher feedback, the dogs were a refreshing change to their day and the students were eager to have the dogs come back.