Dogs Do Therapy director Caroline Beckett practices Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), a relatively new concept in the UK that is becoming increasingly popular in the US and parts of Europe.
“I am an Occupational Therapist, having worked in the NHS for 10 years, specialising in neurology rehab,” Caroline tells Stroke Rehab Times.
“I discovered AAT whilst looking for a way to combine my skills as an OT with my love of animals. AAT harnesses the natural human-animal bond, and works with it to help people reach their full potential in rehab.”
After gaining invaluable on-the-job AAT experience with Stroke Rehab Dogs founder, Sallie Bollans, Caroline set up Dogs Do Therapy, expanding the remit to cater to a wider spectrum of neurological conditions, as well as neurodiverse children.
Caroline explains how AAT has helped one 59-year-old stroke survivor.
“This particular client’s goals were to increase her balance and her mobility, and enable some functional use of her left upper limb.
“During sessions, dogs from our incredible team worked with her to help her achieve these goals. For example, she would brush and stroke the dog, encouraging the movement of her left upper limb.
“She worked on bilateral activities, ssuch as stabilising a jar of treats with her left hand whilst opening it with her right hand to give a treat to the dog.
“The client also practiced her mobility alongside the dog, progressing to holding the lead as they walked together.”
The client experienced psychological benefits, too.
“Having a dog in a session is incredibly motivating. They’re non-judgmental, always happy to see you, and give clients another focus during their rehab.
“In this particular case, the client said that it really improved her mood. She said she always looked forward to sessions, which is not always the case with rehab.
“It also really improved her confidence. She used to drive to sessions when before, she’d always been a bit concerned about going out by herself in the car. It gave her purpose to go out independently.
“AAT can help clients in many different aspects of rehab. Goals can be related to a person’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional health as well as their communication”.
Caroline’s group of dogs at the moment range from Cockapoos to Spaniels to Golden Retrievers, who have all had a temperament assessment to assess their suitability for this work.
In every session, the dogs are accompanied by their owners, who ensure their dogs’ needs are being met throughout.
It’s important to match the right dog to the right client.
For example, a client who wants to work on upper-limb strengthening might be paired with an active dog who enjoys fetching. Over time, the client can work on throwing different weighted objects and building their strength.
“It’s all about incorporating fun activities that both the dog and the client enjoy. An integral part of animal assisted therapy is ensuring that the dogs are enjoying what they’re doing.”
Caroline has also seen seen how transformative AAT can be on the lives of neurodiverse children, including a young boy with autism.
The nine-year-old finds the sensory overload of school very anxiety-provoking, causing school refusal.
Since working together with Golden Retriever, Sam, however, he is excited to go into school because he knows that he’s going to see Sam.
“Previously, he’d been spending all of his time in the library because that’s a safe place and he was finding it too overwhelming to leave.
“But when Sam arrives, Sam encourages him to go into the playground, which is one of the places that he’s most anxious about.
“We’ve been incorporating the boy’s friends into activities we’ve been carrying out with him and Sam, in the playground, including sensory circuits. This has been encouraging him to interact socially with his peers, which is also one of his goals.
“He becomes less anxious, he spends more time in school and, even after Sam’s left, it helps him feel safe, secure and calm enough to remain in school for the day.”
To find out more about Dogs Do Therapy, visit the website, email caroline@dogsdotherapy.co.uk or call 07919 222379.
