Read the following text. Use dictionary if necessary. Anyone who has ever owned a pet will readily verify the benefits of associating with furred, feathered

Anyone who has ever owned a pet will readily verify the benefits of associating with furred, feathered, or finned friends. Animals are fun to be with and comforting to hold. Their antics inspire humor and a sense of carelessness, a return to childhood with its buoyant spirits. Caring for pets encourages responsibility and adherence to a daily schedule. Pets enable owners to reach outside themselves and to put aside fears of an uncertain future. Pets live in the immediate moment, and interacting with them makes us keenly aware of the present with all its joys and idiosyncrasies.

The earliest reported use of AAT for the mentally ill took place in the late 18th century at the York Retreat in England, led by William Tuke. Patients at this facility were allowed to wander the grounds which contained a population of small domestic animals. These were believed to be effective tools for socialization. In 1860, the Bethlem Hospital in England followed the same trend and added animals to the yard, greatly influencing the morale of the patients living there.

For children with special needs, the ability to interact with a dog, cat, or other furry friend can have a very positive impact upon their quality of life. Interacting with a pet can sometimes enhance recovery following a serious illness. It can change behavior, create a sense of responsibility and even improve a child’s ability to participate in therapeutic treatment leading to achievement in relation to identified goals and objectives. Children are often extremely trusting and easily achieve a level of intimacy with animals. This special bond contributes to pets’ effectiveness as co-therapists.

During the session, each child works with their occupational therapist either in their wheelchair or on a therapy mat arranged in a circle. The therapist uses a variety of treatment techniques to enable the child to work on specific identified goals while interacting with the dog. For example, a child recovering from a traumatic brain injury experiences considering difficulty dressing and grooming oneself due to the loss of function in one arm. The therapist may ask the child to reach out with the weak arm to pet, brush or even feed the dog. The therapist may add a wrist weight to the weak arm in order to develop strength, or use an adapted brush with a special handle to assist the child in holding the brush. The child becomes motivated and excited to participate in treatment; thus helping to achieve treatment goals quicker and easier.

The occupational therapist conducts the therapy session using the dog as a means to facilitate the development of skills needed by the child to achieve independent functioning in the areas of self-help, dressing; grooming, playing and learning; cognitive skills and fine motor skills. The children react with excitement and enthusiasm, always looking forward to the next visit from their “furry therapist.

So called hippotherapy is also used as a treatment for people with physical or mental challenges.

Hippotherapy Association defines hippotherapy as a physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy treatment strategy that utilizes equine movement as part of an integrated intervention program to achieve functional outcomes, while the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATHI) defines therapeutic riding as a riding lesson specially adapted for people with special needs. Equine therapy has been effective in treating people with a wide spectrum of problems: physical, behavioral, social, cognitive, and psychological. Hippotherapy has also been approved by the American Speech and Hearing Association as a treatment method for individuals with speech disorders. In addition, equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) uses horses for work with persons who have mental health issues. EAP often does not involve riding.

Such mammals as dolphins are also involved in treatment of people with special health problems.

Dolphin assisted therapy refers to the practice of swimming with dolphins. Proponents claim for such treatment; however this form of therapy has been strongly criticised as having no long term benefit, and being based on flawed observations. Psychologists have cautioned that dolphin assisted therapy is not effective for any known condition and presents considerable risks to both human patients and the captive dolphins.

Ш. 1. Answer the questions:

1) Do pets really help people to reach outside themselves and to overcome their fears?

2) What was the earliest reported use of AAT for the mentally ill?

3) What does the practical work with special children during the session with the occupational therapist and the dog involve?

4) What are the positive outcomes of interacting with animals for children with special needs?

5) In what cases the method of hippotherapy is usually used?

6) Is dolphin assisted therapy really effective?

2. Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1) Caring for pets encourages responsibility and adherence to a daily schedule.

2) The earliest reported use of AAT for the mentally ill took place in the late 19th century

3) For children with special needs, the ability to interact with a dog, cat, or other furry friend can have a very positive impact upon their quality of life.

4) Interacting with a pet can sometimes slow down recovery following a serious illness.

5) Pets enable owners to reach outside themselves and to put aside fears of an uncertain future.

6) Children are often extremely trusting but they hardly achieve a level of intimacy with animals.

7) The occupational therapist conducts the therapy session using the dog as a means to facilitate the development of skills needed by the child to achieve independent functioning

8) So called hippotherapy is never used as a treatment for people with mental challenges.

9) Equine therapy has been effective in treating people with a wide spectrum of problems: physical, behavioral, social, cognitive, and psychological.

10) Psychologists claim that dolphin assisted therapy is the most effective for any known condition and presents no considerable risks to both human patients and the captive dolphins.

3. Continue the sentences:

1) Anyone who has ever owned a pet …

2) Their antics inspire humor …

3) Pets live in the immediate moment…

4) Interacting with a pet can…

5) The therapist uses a variety of treatment…

6) The therapist may ask the child…

7) The child becomes motivated…

8) Hippotherapy Association defines hippotherapy as…

9) Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATHI) defines therapeutic riding as…

10) Psychologists have cautioned…

4. Which word in the list is odd?

1) to inspire humor and a sense of carelessness, to initiate a withdrawal into apathy, to inspire a return to childhood with its buoyant spirits, to help to put aside fears of an uncertain future;

2) to make a child feel depressed, to create a sense of responsibility, to improve a child’s ability to participate in therapeutic treatment;

3) a wrist weight, an adapted brush with a special handle, a wheelchair;

4) physical problems, behavioral problems, acute problem, social problems, cognitive problems, psychological problems;

5) proponent, adherent, opponent, follower;

5. Fill in the blanks with the words from the text:

Anyone who has ever owned a pet will readily … the benefits of associating with …, …, or … friends. Animals are fun to be with and comforting to hold. Their … inspire humor and a sense of …, a return to childhood with its buoyant spirits. Caring for pets encourages responsibility and … to a daily schedule.

In 1860, the Bethlem Hospital in England followed the same trend and added animals to the yard, greatly influencing the … of the patients living there.

For children with special needs, the ability to interact with a dog, cat, or other furry friend can have a very … … upon their quality of life.

It can change behavior, create a sense of responsibility and even improve a child’s ability to participate in therapeutic treatment leading to achievement in relation to identified … and …

For example, a child recovering from a … … … … considering difficulty dressing and grooming oneself due to the loss of function in one arm. The therapist may ask the child to reach out with the weak arm to pet, brush or even feed the dog. The therapist may add a … … to the weak arm in order to develop strength, or use an … … with a special handle to assist the child in holding the brush.

Hippotherapy Association defines hippotherapy as a physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy treatment strategy that … … movement as part of an … … … to achieve functional...

…claim for such treatment; however this form of therapy has been strongly criticised as having no long term benefit, and being based on … observations. Psychologists have cautioned that dolphin assisted therapy is not effective for any known condition and presents considerable risks to both human patients and the … dolphins.

6. Give synonyms from the text:

- not to think of what scares you;

- peculiarity;

- to improve;

- purpose;

- grotesque behavior;

- to use;

- horse;

- result;

- follower;

- faulty.

7. Make up the plan of the text. Here are the titles in the wrong order. Make the order correct:

1) The practical work with special children during the session with the occupational therapist and the dog.

2) Pets enable people to reach outside themselves

3) Dolphin assisted therapy. The question of its effectivnes.

4) The positive impact of interacting with animals for children with special needs.

5) The definition of hippotherapy. The effectiveness of this method.

6) The earliest reported use of AAT for the mentally ill.