Dolphin Therapy: Therapy in an Extraordinary Way
Dolphin assisted therapy, under supervision of specialized therapists, is a therapy form through which both traditional and new, inventive therapy-methods are combined with the interaction with a dolphin. This type of therapy is used to stimulate correct mental, corporal and/or emotional response from children with special needs.
Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) January 19, 2005 -- Curacao
is a tropical island in the Caribbean that is visited by thousands of tourists
every year. Unknown about the island is the fact that it has a special therapy
to offer to children with special needs; dolphin therapy. The Curacao Dolphin
Therapy and Research Center (CDTC) welcomes children with different types of
mental disorders to help them develop and push back their bounds.
Dolphin assisted therapy, under supervision of specialized therapists,
is a therapy form through which both traditional and new, inventive
therapy-methods are combined with the interaction with a dolphin. This type of
therapy is used to stimulate correct mental, corporal and/or emotional response
from children with special needs. A fitting program is constructed for each
individual child before starting the actual therapy.
Extensive research
has shown that specially trained dolphins are able to realize a child’s
deficiency and help a child re-establish the contact to its surroundings.
Furthermore the fact that therapy is largely conducted in warm fresh seawater,
resulting in a certain amount off weightlessness, makes it easier for children
with physical disabilities to perform specific physical exercises.
Since
the start in April 2004, CDTC has successfully helped 120 children. Most of
these children came from Germany (CDTC cooperates with the German organization
Dolphin Aid); more Dutch children are expected to participate in the therapy in
the near future. Child neurologist Irina Snoeck and Dolphin Academy director
Laetitia Lindgren started the Dutch link to the Curacao dolphin therapy; DOC
Dolphin. DOC Dolphin offers both information and mediation for the therapy on
Curacao, it also provides for the medical intake in The Hague of the Dutch
children that are going to visit CDTC for a therapy program. In the future, DOC
Dolphin will also take care of the therapy follow-up in the Netherlands, in
corporation with all involved people the surroundings of the child, for example
parents, teachers and medics.
A documentary about the Dolphin Therapy
will be broadcasted this Tuesday at 19:55 on Dutch television (AVRO). This
program is made by the Dutch Stichting Sam (The Sam Foundation), an organization
that offers Dolphin Therapy to children with Down Syndrome or an autistic
spectrum disorder. The foundation works for the most part in the Netherlands and
occasionally comes with a group of children to Curacao. Although Stichting Sam
only offers dolphin therapy to a specific group of handicapped children, this
foundation has helped numerous children during the last number of years. CDTC
now offers therapy in addition to Stichting Sam, available for children with
different types of handicaps. Tuesday’s documentary presents beautiful shots of
this fantastic type of improving the life quality of children with special
needs.
For more information:
CDTC
www.cdtc.an
DOC
Dolphin www.docdolphin.nl
Stichting Sam www.stichtingsam.nl
Contact:
Hilde G. Gerlofs
Email: e-mail protected from spam
bots
Phone: 599-9-4658900 ext.5104
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/1/prweb199469.htm