Original scientific paper
THE ROLE OF THE THERAPY DOG IN THE LIFE OF FAMILIES AND CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
Anita Berišić
Anamarija Gjuran-Coha
Gordana Pelčić
; Faculty of medicine, University of Rijeka
Abstract
ntroductionFamilies of children with developmental disabilities who have a dog are involved in rehabilitation and early intervention programs. One of rehabilitation programs includes the coexistence of an assistance /guide dog in the family of a child with developmental disabilities. The aim of this research was to examine and evaluate the benefits of children and families of children with developmental disabilities who have an assistance /guide dog.MethodsFamilies of children with developmental disabilities who have an assistance/guide dog participated in the research.Data was collected through a survey questionnaire specially created for this research in electronic form using Google Forms with the support of the Silver Rehabilitation Center, Zagreb, Croatia 2023.ResultsThe total number of participants was 44, out of which 32 (72,73%) were female and 12 (27,27%) male. The age of 17 (38,64%) partici-pants was up to forty years of age, 23 participants (52,27%) were aged forty to fifty and 4 (9,09%) participants were over fifty-one years of age. The level of well-being in emotional, social and motor expression was not affected if the family had a pet before, it exists and is equal nonetheless. It was estimated that benefits will be high-lighted by families with children who have only one developmental disability.ConclusionWell-being in the child's motor, social, and emotional expression, regardless of the number of difficulties is associated with the pres-ence of an assistance /guide dog in the household
Keywords
Connection; disabled children; environment; family; service dogs; well-being
Hrčak ID:
313506
URI
Publication date:
22.1.2024.
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