Merope Pavlides: Animal-assisted Interventions for Individuals with Autism

Excerpt

For decades, animals have assisted humans in many areas of everyday life. It is not uncommon to see a dog guiding a person who is blind or a child with cerebral palsy learning to strengthen their legs atop a docile horse. However, it is perhaps not so commonplace to find a dog that is trained to keep a child with autism from running away in public, or a dolphin inspiring a child with autism to say their first words, or a horse who helps a child with autism to initiate appropriate social behaviors. To Merope Pavlides, a certified pet dog trainer with a Masters in special education from John Hopkins University, these ideas are not only common place, but are concepts she believes in and has witnessed the benefits from personally. …