Devon hasn’t tried dolphin therapy only because we live in New Jersey
and most therapy centers are in Southern Florida. However, I’ve
investigated dolphin therapy for 15 years.
Dolphins primarily use echo location (sonar) because their sight is about
as good as a cat’s sight. Unlike us humans who use sight as our
primary sense (the
entire back of our brain is dedicated to sight), dolphins use sound.
This makes a positive experience for people who are sight deficient, like
many near drowning survivors who are cortically blind or worse.
Sight deficient people who were able to articulate their experiences with
dolphins have stated that they didn’t “feel” blind or missing
something that sighted individuals experience. I imagine their
experience would be quite magical, feeling the dolphins and hearing the
clicks and whistles of the dolphin
language. One person felt the dolphins’ echo location.
Devon will love dolphin therapy and when we have the money and time to go
to Florida for a week or so; she’ll be swimming with a huge grin on her
face!
Here’s some links to learn more about dolphin therapy:
Florida:
http://islanddolphincare.org
http://www.dolphinhumantherapy.com/
http://www.gulfarium.com/jfdolphin.htm
California:
http://www.create-a-smile.org/
Also pet therapies
information.
Israel:
http://www.dolphinreef.co.il/
Germany:
http://www.dolphin-aid.de/e1.htm
Denmark:
http://users.cybercity.dk/~kam2079/dolphins.htm
International and Other Dolphin Therapy Centers Links:
http://www.aquathought.com/aquamore/resource.html
Beck, Devon's mom