No More Swimming With the Dolphins
November 10, 2007 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) has called for a ban on dolphin assisted therapy (DAT), which some claim has helped autistic children “increase speech and motor skills.” The WDCS is calling for a total ban on DAT:
DAT is a controversial therapy that involves close interaction with dolphins, usually through swimming with these animals in captivity or in their natural environment, and is promoted as a treatment or respite from illness and disability. However, in a new report, titled ‘Can you put your faith in DAT?’, WDCS has uncovered the shocking truth behind the rapidly expanding DAT industry.
In a move supported by health charity Research Autism, WDCS has called for a total ban on DAT after researching the therapy and discovering that:
· There is no scientific evidence to prove that the therapy is effective.
· There are no official standards or regulation governing the industry.
· Dolphins are removed from the wild to stock the growing number of DAT facilities, and this has both serious conservation and welfare implications for the animals.
· Both people and animals can be exposed to infection and injury when participating in DAT.
· DAT is extremely costly despite the lack of evidence of its success and there are other therapies available that are both cheaper and easier to obtain.Richard Mills of Research Autism agrees with the findings of the report. He said: “Research Autism endorses the WDCS report which highlights the fact that there is no evidence that dolphin therapy aids people with autism. We believe this type of therapy is extremely expensive and potentially harmful to both people with autism and the dolphins. There is no good quality research to support its use and therefore we would urge people to exercise caution when considering such an undertaking.”
I have spoken to a few families who tried DAT for their child; while they noted that their child enjoyed the swimming and the water, long-term effects did not ensue.
Photo courtesy of thlagozink via Flickr
Well, you’ve got to ask yourself, why on earth would it? There is no reason why autistic people would not have a blast swimming with dolphins — who wouldn’t — but I can’t see why it would be any more effective than any other really fun activity.
While the human-animal connection can provide meaningful encounters that have benefits to people, I would argue that similar results can be achieved with programs that use domesticated animals instead of wild ones.
I’ve been involved with both dog and horse assisted therapy programs where the criteria for animal health and demeanor were strict – meaning the animals recruited were good candidates, properly trained, properly vaccinated and free from communicable diseases. Those standards are far more difficult to apply to therapy programs that use wild animals.
Speaking as an environmental scientist, the conservation issues and vulnerability to disease are very real threats to dolphins. Harvesting these creatures from the wild or pursuing them in their natural habitat has negative impacts far beyond the individual animal and is on par with the wildlife habitat encroachment that comes from urban sprawl.
I think Charlie would enjoy it—-it’s the claims of what DAT does that one is ever wary of.
I was thinking of horse therapy earlier when I read this entry. When we lived in Northern California, the Sheriff’s association donated time and service for the kids at the special ed school Pop attended. It was a once a year deal.
Dr. Temple Grandin talks about the worth of animal handling. If it’s something that becomes a special interest, it can become a very good therapeutic tool.
I didn’t know the particulars about DAT nor that it was considered for autistic people. I do remember once as a travel agent, being asked about “swimming with the manatees”. This person went on about how popular and therapeutic it was. I had never heard of it and we had no travel packages for it. I can’t imagine swimming with wild mermaids.
I meant to say that the Sheriff’s assoc. provided “horse riding” as therapy.
Wow. I always wondered about that therapy for our daughter but knew we would never be able to afford it. We did horse therapy for a year and she loved it and had a huge boost in her self confidence. Can that be measured by anyone else but her parents? Probably not. I really appreciate the fascinating articles you have on your blog. Thank you!
Thanks more than much! I just talked to a mom who said her son does therapeutic horseback riding—–would like to try that with Charlie.
Now if only all of the other “unproven, expensive, and potentially harmful therapies” for autism were removed we’d be getting somewhere.
Joe
Thanks–I’d never heard of DAT, although swimming with dolphins at resorts I had heard of–and had read similar objections to. I’m in the early stages of try-it-and-see-if-it-helps with Tommy, my almost 6 year old cutie with Aspergers and ADHD. So much is anecdotal . . We’re signed up to try out a program called ARF (Animal Reading Friends) later this month at my local library.
I’ve heard of programs like ARF (love the acronym)—–I’d love to know how it goes for Tommy.
The thing about “animal therapy” is that you can test it out on your kids for “almost free”. You can go to petting zoos, find friends with pets and attend animal exhibits to see how your child reacts to the animal.
I don’t think Charlie would last too long at a petting zoo right now—–small animals that move fast have become very alarming to him.
Jack and I did the Dolphin Encounter at Discovery Cove (a Sea World Co.) in Orlando. Jack loved it, but no cure (we weren’t looking for one).
We also did what was called Theraputic Horse Riding, but we looked at it as inexpensive Riding Lessons for Special Needs Kids. No cure there either, but again, we weren’t looking for one.
I would like my son Nick to do the Dolphin encounter at Sea World. My kids were scared of ponies at fairs we went to when younger. With my asthma I could not handle being near horses. I tried lessons as a kid and learned of my allergy to them. My neighbor was in many shows for horses and I liked watching the jumps.
They have pony rides at Griffith park.
Bonnie, kids have to be 6 to do the dolphin encounter at Discovery Cove. The trainers who do the encounter were very understanding of Jack’s autism. Keep in mind also that Jack is a very strong swimmer.
We did horseback riding for 4 years before we moved. My daughter enjoyed it.
Charlie’s only been on a pony a few times and I think he’d like horseback riding—I think, since I’m not 100% sure of his reactions to animals.
My kids are 12(next Monday) and 13. The only part I could not do is getting into the water with him, so we need to wait for him to reach 16, since maybe a parent does not need to go in. There is no way I could wear one of those wet suits with my severe eczema.
I highly recommend you watch the Penn and Teller show Bulls*&^ on Dolphins. Putting your child in with a dolphin can be very dangerous, and while fun and your kid may enjoy it, it’s hooey as an autism treatment.
With that said, we do the horse therapy and my 7 year old with PDD-NOS loves it. I see it as a good thing for her, but I am still not sure I would call it “therapy”. If I start taking kids for a ride on my 4 Wheeler, could I charge and call it “Offroad therapy”, apparently.
***WARNING: HARSH LANGUAGE, DON’T WATCH IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED****, but funny as heck …
PENN & TELLER on Dolphins … part 2 mentioned the autism treatments, etc.
part I – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj_2rD24mQw&feature=related
part II – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7-HcHQoioM&feature=related
part III – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoHqB_FQkpA&feature=related
Fielding J. Hurst
http://autismparents.net
it’s hooey as an autism treatment.
I have an acquaintance who becomes close to apoplectic about swimming with dolphins as treatment for autism. When he can become calm enough to talk about it, the reasons for the bitterness is that
A. They gave it a shot based on testimonial and the salesmanship of the “dolphin therapists”,
B. It cost a lot of money that they really didn’t have,
C. It was entirely ineffective, so
D. He felt that they were duped big time.
And now I see that the dolphins may be exploited, so that it is not neutral for the animals either.
I’m not counting on hippotherapy as any kind of cure, but the cost is within the realm of reason and horseback riding has a well-established track record as recreational leisure. We’ve started looking into a program in our neck of the woods.
Horseback riding is on our list—-just not sure about Charlie’s responses to get so close to an animal!
We aren’t sure either, but Eleanor was really fascinated this year watching the folks at the county fair riding their horses.
“Would you like to ride a horse like they are?”
“Yes.”
Good enough for me as a starting point.
The program here is graduated, so at least on paper they don’t seem to expect the children to get on the horse until they get used to being comfortable being around them. (But we haven’t done it first hand like some of the other commenters.)
Fielding J. Hurst,
Thanks for posting the videos–I’m a P&T fan, and the content was fascinating, but whoo–”harsh” is a major understatement. Penn’s language was positively BLUE. Thanks for the warning.
Good grief.
I just got a news blurb from an autism newsletter about “Elephant therapy”. (This reminds me of a misunderstanding a few years ago where someone I knew thought hippotherapy meant therapy using…hippos. Elephants put you in the general ballpark, I guess).
Sometimes I wish that people would take a deep breath before passing some of these things on, or do they really feel the need to leave no stone unturned in informing the “autism community”?
I understand the concern of safety of the animals and humans is very important, but I feel that there is a lot of emphasis placed on the actual idea of “therapy” with dolphins. I have to say that the experience of swimming with these mammals is like nothing else. It is a completely cleansing experience. They are so smart and pure that the interaction with them is truly a memorable experience. So, it is no wonder that with proper trained individuals on staff and in combination of sensory integrated activities it has a positive effect on kids with neurological disorders. I work with children on the Autism spectrum, and I know just how important sensory stimulation can be. Considering the fact that Dolphin therapy effectiveness has not been proved, does not mean it can be eliminated or banned. There is clearly not enough research in the field, and considering the cost and the limited amount of participants for some realistic data, it is very hard to prove its effectiveness, but I strongly believe there is something to it and should not be taken away as an option.
Also, I personally worked with a family who had a young child with PDD. They attended sessions of dolphin therapy in Florida for a week. When they came back from the “vacation”, my first impression was that the child is actually regressing, it seemed like he lost everything we worked so hard on prior to vacation, but my worries faded literally the very next day, when this child had a sudden leap of progress, like never before. I worked with this child until he turned 3 (which was about another 4 months after dolphin therapy)during this time, the parents also took him to Mexico and he went swimming with the dolphins during one of those regular dolphin shows. Parents took him about 3 times during the trip, and when he came back, I saw that he made another substantial leap. The child was more responsive, he made good eye contact, he followed directions, significantly reduced repetitive behavior, tantrums and most importantly rapid development of communication skills, which I found amazing. I obviously realize that it won’t work for everyone and it is not a panacea for neurological disorders, but seeing the effect wit my own eyes, gave me hope. I also understand that dolphin therapy alone won’t help, it also requires intensive behavior therapy, diet etc. Yet, it can be effective. The down part is obviously the cost of the program which can be afforded by very few people. Maybe, if there would be more research which can be subsidized and allowed families with limited income to participate on subsidized basis, we would be able to have sufficient data + or -. At least the program and its cost could be justified and possibly funded. If proven completely ineffective, then I would see why the program would be discredited.