Degree Name
Master of Science in Education
Department or Program
Educational Psychology
Advisor
Zyromski, Brett
Abstract
AN ABSTRACT OF THE RESEARCH PAPER OF JOCELYN TURNER, for the Masters of Science degree, presented on November, 12, 2010, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY AND AUTISM INTERVENTIONS: A SYNTHESIS OF THE LITERATURE MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Brett Zyromski The overall intention of this research project was to determine if, based on the available literature, Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has potential as an efficacious adjunctive therapy method for helping to generate greater levels of social functioning, for individuals with Autism. This project draws from interdisciplinary research and professional accounts, to present an organized review of the literature on AAT and autism, with a focus on intervention methods and their effects, to present how therapy animals might be utilized as part of the special educational milieu of adolescents and teens with high functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome.