Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) and Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) are “a therapeutic intervention that incorporates animals, such as horses, dogs, cats, and birds, into the treatment plan.” Such treatment plans and/or programs are structured based upon the individuals receiving the intervention and the environment and potential disabilities involved. In the implementation of such a program “the client, therapist,” or teacher and students “and [the] animals” (I typically introduce two to four Conures into my classrooms) “work together in therapeutic” and/or educational activities “that are outlined in a treatment plan” or program which contain “clear goals for change, measurable objectives, and the expectation of identifiable progress toward the treatment goals” within such a program or intervention. “The therapy can take many forms, based on the patient, [the student and environment] the animal, and the goals for treatment.”

The use of “Animal-assisted therapy is used to enhance and complement the benefits of traditional therapy” and intervention. CHADD (2023) asserts that “interventions for peer relationships are a critical component of treatment for children with ADHD [who often] have serious problems with peer relationships [and] children who overcome these problems do better in the long run than those who continue to have problems with peers.” Furthermore, “there is scientific basis for child-based treatments for ADHD that focus on peer relationships [and] these treatments usually occur in group settings outside of a therapist’s office.” Having worked directly with such students with ADHD in an educational setting in a resource classroom, and witnessing changes in attention and focus and energy level due to controlled interactions with birds supports such assertions made by organizations like CHADD.