From: "Rich Gauszka" 


"Ellen K."  wrote in message
news:b0nfj1p43d1ghrq2ub10516kkthds1c8q1{at}4ax.com...
> The last paragraph is very interesting:
>
> "Ukrainian dolphins trained by the Soviet Navy for military operations
> are now being used for therapy with autistic and emotionally disturbed
> children. "
>
>
There have been studies on the interaction of autistic children and
dolphins with positive results.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/wisdom/dolphin.html

Some parents, in fact, say the chance to swim with captive dolphins has
changed their child's life. Withdrawn autistic children, for instance, have
responded to the marine mammals in remarkable ways -- forging bonds that
have proved difficult with human playmates. The idea, say psychologists
familiar with the technique, is that the promise of swimming with such a
large and fascinating creature provides an incentive to try different --
and sometimes difficult -- therapeutic tasks.

http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/features/science/050815rf?view=Standard

And it works, at least as far as the parents are concerned. Eleven-year-old
Maxima, for instance, has learned to look people in the eye when she
addresses them. For autistic children like her that is a real breakthrough.
Maxima's mother, who is proudly watching her daughter's performance, is
adamant:
"She learned to do this in dolphin therapy; if you want something from
a dolphin, you have to look at it!"

 Eight-year-old Marleen has shown progress too; she now understands that she
has to ask a question in full sentences, instead of rudely demanding what
she wants. Just as in dolphin therapy only a properly executed hand
movement will work, in human interaction only a properly phrased question
will produce the desired effect.

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