Therapeutic progress for pre-school children with psychiatric disorders and special education needs can be significantly enhanced by the participation of therapy dog teams in the treatment process.

That is the preliminary conclusion of recent pilot study conducted at the Albertina Kerr Center in Portland, Oregon. The Kerr Early Intervention Program provides therapy and services for children between the ages of three and five years who face the challenges of Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder and more, as well as past abuse and neglect.

Therapists found that the dogs encouraged participation in therapy sessions by the children, something that hadn’t always happened previously. Among the results cited in the study:

A severely mistreated girl found the dog to be a trustworthy friend and for the first time in therapy sessions began to share stories of her trauma and neglect;

One of the dogs held the heretofore unobtainable interest of a young boy with a short attention span, allowing progress in treatment;

A young girl with oppositional issues showed turn-taking behaviors revolving around the dog that she had not shown before in any setting.

The dogs were adaptable to a variety of pediatric clients and challenges, helping children learn to express themselves, to modify destructive behavior and gain emotional and physical control.

The study, reported in Delta Society’s Interactions magazine, was conducted by Leah Brookner, a child and family therapist at Albertina Kerr Centers, as a part of her work towards a PhD in Social Work and Social Research.