A child’s first words. The sound of their laughter. Spontaneous movement. These are just some of the things we might take for granted unless we have a child with a disability.
In that case, such sounds and motions take on new significance. For some children and adults, dolphin therapy (also known as dolphin assisted therapy (DAT) and dolphin human therapy (DHT)) provides the right mix of stimuli to reach new levels of communication and motion.
Dolphin Therapy Origins
Dr. John Lilly, a physician and psychoanalyst, first conceived of dolphins being therapeutic in the 1960s. His studies of dolphin-human communication suggested that dolphins could help humans learn to better communicate with one another. In the 1970s, educational anthropologist Dr. Betsy Smith noticed the therapeutic effects of dolphins on her disabled brother, and she and other researchers began to study the effects of dolphin interaction on children with neurological impairments.
Based on his own studies in the 1980s, Dr. David Nathanson of the Dolphin Human Therapy Center in Florida developed dolphin human therapy. Today, dozens of programs around the world focus on communication, speech, fine or gross motor skills, and/or specific behaviors using the dolphin interactions as a positive reward.
Watsu
Generally, the therapy programs incorporate physical, occupational, speech, music, Watsu (a form of water therapy), and/or expressive art therapy into the dolphin interactions. After giving a correct motor, cognitive, or language response, children interact with the dolphin from a dock or in the water by touching, kissing, taking a short ride holding onto the dolphin’s dorsal fin, or dancing in a circular motion with the dolphin.
After the dolphin interaction, the therapist and child again focus on the desired task or behavior. The length and frequency of dolphin therapy varies greatly from one organization to another, ranging from a single session to week, month, or yearlong programs.
How Does Dolphin Therapy Work?
While no existing studies prove definitively how dolphin therapy works, researchers have studied several possibilities. One theory suggests that the natural sonar used by dolphins underwater to localize things and communicate has a therapeutic effect. Blood samples analyzed before and after therapy show that swimming with dolphins increased endorphins (feel-good hormones), certain enzymes, and T-cells (indicators of a stronger immune system).
Studies also show that interacting with dolphins drops brain-wave frequency from the usual awake beta level to alpha—a more relaxed state. Being with dolphins has also been shown to synchronize both sides of the brain, a state typically associated with heightened awareness and increased learning ability.
And while it has also been suggested that dolphins can sense areas of disability and physical trauma and motivate children with disabilities to use these parts, it’s likely that other factors, including being in the water, swimming outdoors, and interacting with therapists, all contribute to the positive results.
Children with Disabilities Respond
Regardless of how and why it works, dolphin therapy has repeatedly shown positive results, sometimes in children who didn’t respond to more traditional forms of therapy. Some of the reported effects include improved mood and ability to maintain calm, improved communication, increased attention span, increased confidence and self-esteem, improved gross- or fine-motor skills, better coordination, better eye contact, a strengthened immune system, and simple yet profound behaviors of smiling, laughing, speaking, and touching.
Children with a wide array of conditions have responded to dolphin therapy, including those with autism, Down syndrome, global developmental delay, ADHD, head and spinal cord injuries, muscular paralysis, depression, hyperactivity, and cerebral palsy.
While dolphin therapy is not a miracle cure, it can provide an effective adjunct to traditional therapy settings and offer a welcome—and memorable—reprieve from usual day-to-day concerns.
Photos courtesy of Water Planet USA
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See Joel Berman and Adaptive Adventures Bring Accessible Sports to Disability Community to learn more about a program that provide progressive sports and recreation opportunities for children and adults with physical disabilities of all ages and skill levels.
