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Children are also subject to DAT where therapists can diagnose problems and help with certain conditions and illnesses.

Though there are many DAT programs available, skeptics argue that DAT has no benefits on a medical scale and should not be undertaken by children. Although results have been positive, some people have shown concern as to whether animal therapies actually help and if so, is DAT is the best of them.

There have been tests that compare children’s emotions and what the outcome was that children are emotionally happier with their favorite toys rather than swimming with the dolphins. These tests have been criticized for not being fair as both tests took place in different locations i.e. one in a motel and one in a tank.

Successful cases have been documented though, like the case of dolphins helping an autistic child communicate. Improvements in cognitive responses were documented when mentally disabled children interacted with dolphins. Analysis has shown that dolphins have a relaxing effect on children and humans in general. Severe mental disabilities though, have not been addressed with DAT in any positive manner. The only effects may be due to the trust and responsibility built up between the mammals.

There seems to be a lack of evidence to suggest that DAT actually works, but there are also theories as to how DAT may work. One theory is that dolphins emit a healing energy that can be transferred to humans. Although this energy cannot be physically felt or medically proved, in some cases, patients say that they feel the energy of the dolphins and help them to heal. One positive advantage of DAT is that with this therapy at least the dolphins are not captured and made to do cruel and inhumane acts of pleasure for people.

Dolphins can emit therapeutic sounds that can help with humans in different ways. There seems to be a generally agreement that dolphins are mysterious yet intelligent mammals of the sea and we are fascinated with their fascination with humans. If this fascination can help humans in any way, then it seems we are trying it without any cruelty done to dolphins. It is important to remember that DAT is an alternative therapy and does not replace known medical solutions or treatments.

Dolphin Assisted Therapy (D.A.T.) is a new and exciting field of modern medicine that some people categorize as part of the Animal therapy. This field of medicine has shown extraordinary results of the therapy and breakthroughs in outcomes in relation to the conventional methods of treatments such as prescribed medication, human therapy and others. It is relatively new, but already has documented results in patients that chose to try it.

http://www.dolphinassistedtherapy.com/
http://www.aquathought.com/
http://www.livingfromtheheart.org/therapy.htm

Dolphins appear to facilitate healing through mechanisms not readily reconciled with modern medical precepts. People frequently report that they become euphoric after swimming with these loving, graceful, and joyous creatures. In turn, an uplifted spirit seems to infuse beneficial healing effects into the mind and body. Numerous people who have serious illnesses and depression have reported dramatic, long-term, favorable changes in their emotional state.

Scientists now know that these emotional changes (which last much longer than the “high” experienced from the release of endorphins, the body’s natural opiates) can initiate a cascade of health-enhancing hormonal and physiological changes. Children with a variety of developmental disabilities have shown remarkable improvements after dolphin-assisted therapy. Learning, cognitive abilities, concentration, communication, and ability to relate to others all improve.

http://www.healingtherapies.info/Dolphin.htm

Informed choices are important in this growing field, andnothing currently exists for comparative evaluation of the effectiveapplications of DAT.

DAT has yet to be adequately defined, with a wide variety of protocolsin current use. CSI can contribute significantly to this emerging field of Health care by studying the field, interviewing the key participants,and creating a database, while publishing it's recommendations for definitionsand standards in public forums.

http://www.dolphintale.com/DAT2.html

Does dolphin-assisted therapy really work? 
 
www.chinaview.cn  2008-03-12     
 
BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhuanet) -- For some physically or mentally handicapped children taking a swim with Flipper is a dream come true that is shared by a multi-million dollar industry that provides dolphin-assisted therapy for several thousand dollars a session.

Dolphin-assisted therapy emerged in the 1970s as a possible treatment for depression and later as a means to help children with autism and other mental and physicals disorders. It is a therapy founded on good intentions.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/12/content_7774268.htm
 
Dolphins in the wild are naturally aggressive. Dolphins have been recorded commiting homicide, infanticide and gangs of male dolphins have been recorded attacking and "raping" females. The bottlenosed dolphin pod off Scotland known as the Moray Firth frequently murder smaller harbor porpoises and even infant dolphins. Evey year, approximatly 15 harbor porpoises and 5 infant bottlenosed dolphins wash up dead. This behaviour is not limited to this area alone. Dolphins kill dolphins all the time and scientists now accept this as normal behaviour. What happens when humans interact with dolphins, especially forced interactions such as the ones that take place in captivity? People get hurt.

http://members.tripod.com/tiggerdolphin/DAT.html

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