Learning & Development:

Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) provide motivational, educational and recreational benefits to enhance quality of life. Used for children to facilitate play and interaction with parent, guardian or carer. Enhances well-being, safe touch and social lubrication.

 

Training Overview:

Based on clinical observations and data from existing studies, research suggest that repeated interaction with a companion animal could have beneficial long-term effects.  The purpose of Animal Assisted Interventions is to strengthen, support and help families interact, bond and live rewarding and healthy lives. Playful Beasts Therapy® incorporates the benefits of AAI with certain Theraplay® techniques, harnessing the way in which animals can provide social support and the relationship between animals and humans.

 

Developmental Objectives:

You will understand:

- What are Animals Assisted Interventions

- The way in which an animal is chosen and screened for suitability

- Risk from animals (incl. Health and safety matters)

- Child and animal behaviours

- Concerns related to Animal Assisted Interventions

- Benefits of animal interaction

- The human/animal connection

 

Skills:

On successful completion of this module participants will be able to use animals (family pets) to assist in:

- Developing/increasing nurturing skills, socialisation and acceptance

- Providing fun and entertainment

- Encourage physical touch

- Use family pet to assist in the building of the adult/child bond

- To have a collection of activity ideas for family/child  engagement with family pet

- Develop skills to use animals to help with cognitive and academic goals