Dolphin-assisted therapy for autism and developmental disorders

Dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT) involves structured interactions between individuals with autism or developmental disorders and dolphins, often combined with therapeutic activities. Reported benefits include improved communication, social engagement, attention, motivation, and reduced anxiety for some participants. Proposed mechanisms are multisensory stimulation, nonjudgmental interaction, novelty, and reward. Evidence is limited and mixed; few randomized controlled trials exist, many studies use small samples (often n< 30), lack blinding, and have short follow-up