Dolphin Therapy and Autism Ranking:

Additional Information

According to Fiksdal et al (2012), 

“In 2003, Dr. Betsy Smith, one of the first researchers to investigate and propose the possibility of DAT having therapeutic value, denounced its use. Describing it as an ineffective and exploitative practice, Dr. Smith voiced two main concerns: (1) monetary gain was more involved with DAT’s practice than was empirical evidence supporting its use, and (2) it was undermined and detracted from valid therapy programs. Purveyors of DAT programs can expect to gain a substantial amount of money from every family and client who seeks their help. The potentially hazardous impact of time and money spent for DAT is compounded when the same resources could be spent on empirically supported treatments (e.g., discrete-trial teaching). Currently, there are no studies that show DAT to be consistently effective”.

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• Dolphin Therapy

Updated

17 Jun 2022

Last Review

01 Nov 2017

Next Review

01 Mar 2024