Best Practices in Animal Assisted Therapy
Many professional report difficulties in knowing the best way to get started in partnering with a therapy animal. This presentation will present a clear path forward for professionals interested in animal-assisted interventions, including discussion on key terminology (differences between therapy animals and other working animals and presentation of terminology used to describe the intervention), therapy animal selection/training, and professional best practices to demonstrate competency in the intervention. An overview of the empirical literature supporting the intervention will also be provided. Attendees will receive practical tools such as animal behavior charts and informed consent templates.