  Elephant Assisted Therapy - By Collen Kraft, M.D. |
 Elephant Assisted TherapyImagine going into counseling with a two-ton size therapist! African elephants provided the inspiration for young South African patients Rentia DeVries and Jonathan Bothma to develop skills and behaviors to help them overcome their disabilities.Rentia, now 10 years old, was born without eyes, a medical condition known as anophthalmia. Rentia was fearful of many aspects of life; she was afraid to walk alone to the bathroom, lacked the self confidence to dress herself or learn to read Braille. Her mother sought help from psychologist Hennie Swanepoel. While conventional counseling was not effective, Mr. Swanepoel learned that Rentia loved animals and felt very comfortable around them. "I have always been interested in animal assisted therapy, and studied Dolphin assisted therapy in Israel. Dolphins are rare in South Africa, but elephants share many of the same qualities. Elephants are gentle with their young, protective, and seem to sense when they are near a child or disabled individual." When asked about elephants for Rentia's therapy, Mr. Swanepoel replied, "Elephants have a "wow" factor about them because of their size. Spending time with such a creature could provide a motivating experience for a child." Rentia's mother and Mr. Swanepoel first took Rentia to visit Boelie, an elephant at a game farm outside Pretoria, South Africa. Rentia was fascinated by Boelie's rough skin, soft ears, long trunk, wet snout, and interesting noises. After the first visit, Rentia's mother and psychologist set some goals for Rentia; after she achieved each goal, her reward was another visit with Boelie. Each week Rentia gained new skills and increased confidence. By the end of three months, she could walk up and down steps by herself, use the bathroom alone, button her school blouse independently, and read Braille. Recently, Rentia has gone camping; walking on unfamiliar terrain would not have been possible before the Elephant Assisted therapy. Jonathan Bothma is a 13 yr old child with cerebral palsy. Before starting with Hennie Swanepoel and Boelie, Jonathan refused to talk, and resisted attempts to use his limbs. A similar program for Jonathan was initiated;  he first visited Boelie, then progressive, small goals were established for him. Once these goals were achieved, Jonathan was rewarded with another visit to the two-ton therapist. Jonathan is now talking normally, and his self confidence and ability to interact with others has improved dramatically.Hennie Swanepoel has high hopes for these big therapists. "Many children with disabilities need therapy and behavior interventions that may not be conventional. Animals work magic with these children. It is my hope that I will be able to share this success with other children who might benefit from Elephant Assisted Therapy." The smile on Jonathan's face tells all... |
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