Animals in Our Lives: Human-Animal Interaction in Family, Community, & Therapeutic Settings

by McCardle, Peggy

• ISBN13: 9781598571578
• ISBN10: 1598571575
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-10-01
• Publisher: PAUL H. BROOKES PUBLISHING CO, INC.

Summary

What do we know about the benefits of human¿animal interaction (HAI)¿and what future research needs to be done to ensure high-quality, evidence-based practices? Find out in this book, a resource that presents the latest research on the positive effects of animal therapies and interactions on child health and development. Gathering contributions from the leading experts in the HAI field, this state-of-the-art research volume is essential for anyone interested in the impact animals have on child development, whether through interaction with pets or through more formal interventions like therapeutic horseback riding or assistance dogs. Program administrators, researchers, and practitioners will explore the current evidence on how children with disabilities can benefit from animal therapies; how animals can strengthen empathy, trust, relationships, and other hallmarks of social competence; which key factors help ensure ethical HAI practices; and more. To help them shape the future of the emerging HAI field, readers will examine the fundamental principles of evidence-based practice, learn how to meet the challenges of designing and sustaining HAI research, and get a framework to use as a starting point for new research studies. Whether used as a text or as a reference for researchers and decision makers (or as a source of information for pet owners and parents), this book will help readers take the first important steps toward ethical, evidence-based HAI practices that really improve child outcomes.

Author Biography

Peggy McCardle, Ph.D., M.P.H., is Chief, Child Development and Behavior Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland. Sandra McCune, Ph.D., is WALTHAM Program Manager, Human-Animal interaction Research, Leicestershire, United Kingdom. James A. Griffin, Ph.D., Is Deputy Chief, Child Development and Behavior Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Layla Esposito, Ph.D., is Health Scientist Administrator, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National institute of Child Health and Human Development. Lisa S. Freund, Ph.D., is Associate Branch Chief for Neurobiological Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Table of Contents

About the Editors	p. vii
About the Contributors	p. ix
Preface	p. xv
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
Introduction	p. 1
Animals in Our Lives
Buddy-A Girl's Best Friend	p. 9
Historical and Cultural Perspectives on Human-Pet Interactions	p. 11
Community Benefits of Human-Animal Interactions…The Ripple Effect	p. 23
Animals and Child Health and Development	p. 43
Samantha and the Happy Couple	p. 53
Public Health Implications of Pets: Our Own Animals and Those of Others	p. 55
Parents as Armchair Ethologists: Decreasing the Risks of Child-Dog Interactions	p. 83
Animals and Therapeutic Intervention
Sal, the Canine Therapist	p. 106
Therapeutic Human-Animal Interaction: An Overview	p. 107
Animals in the Classroom	p. 117
Animal-Assisted Interventions in Child Psychiatry	p. 143
Saint Tonto	p. 163
Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapy for Individuals with Physical and Developmental Disabilities: An Overview of Research Findings and the Types of Research Currently Being Conducted	p. 165
The Roles That Animals Can Play with Individuals with Autism	p. 183
Future Research
Leon's Postdoctorate in Human-Animal Interaction	p. 198
Research Meets Practice: Issues for Evidence-Based Training in Human-Animal Interaction	p. 199
Challenges to Human-Animal Interaction Research: Methodological Issues and Barriers to Sustainability	p. 217
Scientific Research on Human-Animal Interaction: A Framework for Future Studies	p. 227
Index	p. 237
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