Dolphin therapy

Dolphin therapy has been reported to benefit people with many different conditions including neurological disorders, autism, cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, global developmental delay, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), pain relief for spinal injuries, muscular paralysis and depression. However, it is important to remember that little independent scientific evidence has yet been found to support these claims.

Dolphin therapy doesn’t claim to be, and isn’t, a clinical cure for cerebral palsy. Some people claim that some children with cerebral palsy have improved after receiving dolphin therapy. Research is on-going but there is not currently clear scientific evidence of lasting benefits, and conservation organizations have concerns about the impact on the dolphins used in therapy programmes. Dolphin therapy is comparatively expensive and not funded via any UK statutory agencies.

For further information

The Henry Spink Foundation – www.henryspink.org

The Marine Connection – www.marineconnection.org

Operation Sunshine – www.operationsunshine.org

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society – www.wdcs.org