Resumo de Adolescents With Down Syndrome And Dogs: Understanding And Possibilities Of Intervention

Adolescents with Down syndrome and dogs: understanding and possibilities of interventionStudies that have been published since the 1960s suggest thetherapeutical potential of the use of pets in clinical situations. Theresearch on and the practice of the called Animal Assisted Therapy(AAT) and Animal Assisted Activity (AAA) have become more and morepopular ever since. The present research analyses 12 filmed meetingsthat aim at promoting such interaction between dogs and fouradolescents with Down Syndrome, carried out by a special educationschool and a kennel. These weekly meetings took place in a small farmand had been previously scheduled, always at the same time. Thedescription of these meetings between the adolescents and the dogs inan arranged situation aims at elaborating a theoretical reflectionwhich has the objective of taking into account the use of adifferentiated setting that involves the presence of the dog as aresource. The lens under which such phenomena are analysed andunderstood is the W.D.Winnicott psychoanalysis. The psychologicalinvestigation of the meetings explicits the need to take the humancontext offered by the professionals and the interpersonalrelationships that take place into account. It is clear to notice thatthe way the adolescents relate to the animals is qualitativelydifferent from the way they do in exclusively human relationships oreven in their relationships with inanimate objects. It?s important tohighlight that, among other complex phenomena that we observe in therelationship between people and animals, the communication between themis non-verbal: the dogs react to the human behaviour and not to theirintentions, feelings or discourse. Also, the dogs have an importantrole in awakening different aspects of the self, acted out by theadolescents in their attitudes and speech, which makes the expressionof their feelings easier. The analysis also shows that the dog?sbehaviour? ? whether or not responding to the commands of theadolescents, permitting or not being handled by them, of being aconstant and safe presence, as well as its wholeness and continuity ofbeing - suggests the emergence of more room for the adolescents?spontaneity. Finally, some reflections that support the possibility ofa winnicottian clinic with a differentiated setting that have the dogas a resource are presented.

Resumos Relacionados