- Course AAT-
A two year - interactive Course : Therapy with the assistance of animals ( AAT )
Introduction
Therapeutic guidance with the assistance of animals for different target groups in the social sector is a relative new assistance area in Belgium and Europe. Here and there, different shapes and foms of AAT turn up, some including horses, other dogs.. and some of the institutions, organisations organise little zoo's and animal parks for their clients.
However, the purposive set in of an animal as a partner in a therapeutic guidingproces includes quite some criteria and specific knowledge concerning the combination of animals, clients and therapeutic objectives. After all, working via animals brings along a double responsibility : and for the client, and for the working animal. Both have to experience enduring and positive effects.
In this AAT Course , special attention goes to :
- The creation of a new therapeutic context in which clients as well as animals finds themselves in a comfortable and healing climate.
- The difference between activities ; learning methods with animals and animal assisted therapy
- The conscious and purposive contextual integration of elements of nature in a guiding process.
- Selection and management of the working animals. Enrichment of communal and individual habitat
- Health and safety management for people and animals
- Legal criteria
- The creation of an AAT program is always cut down to the individual client and the working animal
- Knowledge and skills concerning all pets and farm animals
- Therapeutic guidance with the assistance of animals is a method that aims to work causal in a assistance context that was purposively designed for the recovery of existential trust.
AAT is in itself a universal method, with applications for different clients and target groups. This course, however, wants to emphasis on children, youngsters and adults with special psycho-social needs.
The course
The course "therapeutic work with the assistance of animals" is an interactive course in which each student - based on the theoretical handles - chooses his/her own perspective in order to produce a new program ( practical and content ) within a new or an existing assistance frame.
The course takes 2 years to finish en consists of 4 modules.
We offer theoretic lessons ( module 1 and 2 ), methodology ( module 3 ) en supervision of the new program ( module 4 ). We organise 2 groups of max. 15 students. One group has lessons on Tuesday mornings, the other group has lessons on Thursday evenings.
Furthermore : students will be part of an electronic learning platform ( web class ). Through the web class we provide articles, exercises, evaluation questions, forum, agenda, announcements etc..
Target group - students :
.This course is meant for people who are already working with children, youngster or adults with special psycho-social needs and who want to enrich their expertises with AAT as a method as well as a context. Minimum affiliation with animals is expected. Students need to have internet and computer. A good knowledge of the English language is expected as some class books are in English.
Students need to understand that they will have to spent time, not only for the class time, but also for the web class, their own project and their thesis.
Maximum 30 students can participate in this course.
Contact
The coming course starts in autumn 2011 If you are interested, you can contact Balans. You will be invited for an intake interview, after which you can sign up.
Note : International Course Animal Assisted Therapy
Our current course is taught in Flemish. In the future we think about giving this course on an international base. If you are interested in such a course, please contact us.
Balans : postgraduate centre for social science relating to the promotion of personal, social and cultural wellfare
Education for Social and Pedagogic work
Edgard Tinelstraat 92 9040 Gent (Sint-Amandsberg)
Tel.: (09) 218.89.39 Fax: (09) 229.32.55 E-mail: balans@vspw.be of keerhof.16@telenet