Animal Assisted Activity and Therapy in the Context of Coordinated Rehabilitation

The diploma thesis is concerned with the provision of animal-assisted activities and therapies for children with disabilities within the social services in the South Bohemian region. The diploma thesis aims to investigate the mode of providing animal-assisted activities and therapies from the point of view of workers who perform zootherapy in the social services organizations. The thesis is divided into a theoretical and a research part. The theoretical part deals with zootherapy in the context of coordinated rehabilitation and the very definition of zootherapy. Methods, forms and organizations that deal with zootherapy are summarized. Furthermore, the most common types of zootherapy are listed. The practical part presents the research component of the issue, aimed to answer the main research question: How are animal-assisted activities and therapies provided? Qualitative research was used, carried out using the method of questioning and the technique of semi-structured interview. The research group consisted of 7 informants, who were selected through intentional selection and purposeful selection technique. The results were processed by data analysis using grounded theory. According to research, the most used methods in social services are animal-assisted activities and animal-assisted therapy, especially canistherapy and hyporehabilitation. Activities and therapy run through entirely different courses. The activities are mainly educational and motivational in character and they have a psychological effect. The therapy focuses primarily on the physiology. According to the research, zootherapy has a unique position and application in the system of coordinated rehabilitation. The contribution of the diploma thesis lies in the integrity of the topic and its inclusion in the topic of coordinated rehabilitation, which is currently an important element in health and social care. The result of the research part can also motivate other workers and organizations in the social and health field to involve zootherapy in their sphere of work