Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal (2020) 37:677–684

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00716-x

Effect of Animal Assisted Education with a Dog Within Children

with ADHD in the Classroom: A Case Study
Veronika Juríčková1,2 · Adéla Bozděchová3 · Kristýna Machová4 · Mariana Vadroňová4

Accepted: 7 October 2020 / Published online: 19 October 2020

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020

Abstract
The aim of the case study was the evaluation of the effect of Animal-assisted education (AAE) within the two children (Tobias
and Emily) diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). AAE took part in a private primary school
during one school year. AAE was practiced with a dog. The severity of ADHD symptoms was evaluated by the teacher using
The Conners Scale: Teacher Questionnaire (Conners in American Journal of Psychiatry 126: 884–888, 1969) before and after
AAE. Results of the teacher’s rating, and teacher’s and experimenter’s observation showed the beneficial effect of participa-
tion of a dog in the classroom. A decrease in the severity of ADHD symptoms, as well as the improvement in concentration,
communication with teachers, and co-operation with their peers in the classroom, was observed. Based on the study results,
using a dog as a part of AAE within children with ADHD appears to be a beneficial activity, and an alternative treatment
method to eliminate the ADHD symptoms. However, further researches are needed to support our findings.

Keywords Child · ADHD · Education · Dog · AAE · Case study

The primary treatment approach for children with Atten-
tion-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is medication
(Danielson et al. 2018; Leuzinger-Bohleber, 2010) that can
show the short-term behavior improvement in terms of atten-
tion and hyperactivity (Duric, Assmus, Gundersen, & Elgen,
2012). However, there is a lack of research on the long-term
effects of medication (Susan & Myers, 2008). Medication
treatment has not confirmed positive long-term effects on
academic outcomes (Langberg & Becker, 2012), cogni-
tion (Swanson, Baler, & Volkow, 2011), social relation-
ships (Mrug, Molina, Hoza, Gerdes, Hinshaw, Hechtman,
* Kristýna Machová
machovakristyna@af.czu.cz
1
Department of Applied Neuroscience and Neuroimaging,
National Institute of Mental Health, 25067 Klecany,
Czech Republic
2
First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 12108 Prague,
Czech Republic
3
Private Elementary School and Kindergarten Adélka,
Mašovice, Domazlice, Czech Republic
4
Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science,
Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech
University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 16521 Prague,
Czech Republic
& Arnold, 2012), or functional impairment and adaptive
behaviors (Epstein, Langberg, Lichtenstein, Altaye, Brink-
man, House, & Stark, 2011) in children with ADHD (for
review see Schuck, Emmerson, Fine, & Lakes, 2015). For
this reason, many parents and teachers are looking for some
alternative methods to manage ADHD symptoms in their
children (Susan & Myers, 2008).
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a
neurodevelopmental disorder with a worldwide prevalence
among children characterized by chronic symptoms of inat-
tention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity (DSM–V; American
Psychiatric Association, 2013). Affected children display
excessive psychomotor activity and they cannot focus on
a particular activity for a prolonged period. Children are
characteristically impaired by deficits in executive functions,
including attention, working memory (Schuck, Emmerson,
Fine, & Lakes, 2015), and inhibitory control (Martínez,
Prada, Satler, Tavares, & Tomaz, 2016). ADHD negatively
impacts academic performance (Mautone, Lefler, & Power,
2011), social skills (teacher report), and problem behaviors
(teacher and parent report) (O’Haire, McKenzie, McCune,
& Slaughter, 2014). Children with ADHD negatively affects
the responding to social cues, collaborating behavior, empa-
thizing, and exhibit a self-oriented focus in the interaction
with other children (Wilkes-Gillan, Bundy, Cordier, Lincoln,

13
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678
& Chen, 2016). Obviously, dealing with these difficulties
may pose a problem after entering the school, not only for
children, but also for their parents, teachers, and peers.
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a structured, goal-
oriented therapy that intentionally uses the involvement of
animals in health, education, and social programs. AATs are
often a complement or adjunct to other therapies, sometimes
also stand-alone intervention (Schuck, Johnson, Abdullah,
Stehli, Fine, & Lakes, 2018). Animals have been perceived
as enabling a safe and trusting relationship between the child
and the animal and offering many therapeutic benefits (Bal-
luerka, Muela, Amiano, & Caldentey, 2014). AAT studies in
child population reported reduced aggressiveness and hyper-
activity (Garcia-Gomez et al., 2014), and improvements in
social functioning (e.g., sensory seeking, inattention-dis-
tractibility) (Bass, Duchowny, & Llabre, 2009), adaptive
functioning (Gabriels et al., 2012), irritability, hyperactivity,
social cognition, and communication (Gabriels et al., 2015),
interpersonal relations and social inclusion (Garcia-Gomez
et al., 2014), and in attitudes towards learning (Beetz, 2013).
Although most of the reviewed evidence is based on sam-
ples other than the ADHD population, the positive effect of
AAT was also reported in many core symptoms of ADHD
(Busch, Tucha, Talarovicova, Fuermaier, Lewis-Evans, &
Tucha, 2016).
One of the various settings where animals can be
involved, include animal-assisted education (AAE), to
convey or simplify the teaching in a daily school setting.
Although children with ADHD may be more excitable, and
react to a dog differently than typically developing children
(Busch et al., 2016). Several studies showed AAT as encour-
aging the calming and de-arousing effects in children suffer-
ing from ADHD (Busch et al., 2016), and greater reductions
in the parent-rated severity of ADHD symptoms (Schuck
et al., 2015). AAE has been used to improve co-operation,
social functioning (O’Haire, 2013), and social relationships
in the classroom (Beetz, Uvnäs-Moberg, Julius, & Kotrschal,
2012; Tissen, Hergovich, & Spiel, 2007). AAE also has
great potential to make learning more arresting (Swartz, Le
Roux, & Swart, 2015). Especially dogs have been observed
to improve attitudes regarding school and to learning (Beetz,
2013), reduce aggression, and increase empathy (Tissen
et al., 2007), positively stimulate social cohesion in children
(Kotrschal & Ortbauer, 2003).
In general, AAE was found to reduce aggression (Tis-
sen et al., 2007), increase concentration skills (Wohlfarth,
Mutschler, Beetz, Kreuser, & Korsten-Reck, 2013), improve
speech abilities (Baars & Wolf, 2011; Gee, Harris, & John-
son, 2007) and social skills (Esteves & Stokes, 2008; Funa-
hashi, Gruebler, Aoki, Kadone, & Suzuki, 2014; Murry &
Allen, 2012; Tissen et al., 2007). The overall calming effect
of the presence of a dog (Hoffmann et al., 2009; Lange,
Cox, Bernert, & Jenkins, 2007; Prothmann et al. 2005) was
13
V. Juríčková et al.
also reported. In ADHD, interacting with animals can reduce
hyperactivity and physical arousal, poor social interactions,
impulsive class disruptions (Busch et al., 2016), increase the
attention to a teacher (Kotrschal & Ortbauer, 2003), reduce
anger, and improve coping skills (Kelly & Cozzolino, 2015).
AAT allows students with ADHD to develop relationships
and attachments without judgment with peers, or teachers
(Hart et al., 2017; Horowitz, 2010). However, only a few
studies are evaluating the effect of AAE across students with
ADHD symptoms in the classroom (Schuck, Emmerson,
Fine, & Lakes, 2013).
In general, in the student population, animal-assisted
interactions (AAI) seem to improve the hyperactivity
(Garcia-Gomez et al., 2014; Gabriels et al., 2015), learn-
ing abilities, or social relationships and functioning in the
classroom (Beetz et al., 2012; O’Haire, 2013; Tissen et al.,
2007). These domains are affected also in children with
ADHD, in whom the AAT may be an alternative (separate
or adjunct) treatment to manage or reduce ADHD symptoms
(Susan & Myers, 2008). To remediate this knowledge gap,
we observed the interaction of a therapy dog and children
with ADHD in the school environment, and its influence on
the integrating of ADHD children into the classroom col-
lective. We hypothesized that concretely AAE may posi-
tively influence the integrating of children in a classroom
collective, and in building relationships with their peers. To
get deeper and more exact information about this topic, we
chose a case study design.
Methods
Participants
The participants of AAE were two children (a boy and a girl)
diagnosed with ADHD studying at a private primary school
in the Czech Republic. More details about participants are
reported in the results. Also, the teacher of both respondents
participated in the study, especially to evaluate the partici-
pants´ classroom, group, and authority behavior. Informed
consent was signed by both participants´ caregivers. The
approval of the study was also obtained from the school
management where the study was conducted.
Procedure
Animal-assisted education in our study was implemented
in a private primary school practicing a child-specific
approach-actively integrating students with special needs
into a standard collective of classmates. A dog (White Swiss
Shepherd) participated in both, inside and outside classroom
lessons, during one school year. The dog attended the les-
sons of three school subjects: Dramatic Education, Physical
Effect of Animal Assisted Education with a Dog Within Children with ADHD in the Classroom: A Case…
Training, and the Czech language (subjects were chosen
based on the willingness of the teacher to let the dog partici-
pate in the lessons). Each lesson lasted 45 min, once a week.
Due to the special needs of participants, lesson activities
alternated, and lessons were divided into shorter periods of
time. During every lesson, participants were encouraged to
be independent in their activities, to co-operate as part of the
collective of classmates, and to perform their varying tasks
with the involvement of the dog using diverse tools such as a
leash, a muzzle, a harness, etc. All procedures performed in
this study involving human participants were following the
ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research
committee, and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration, and its
later amendments or comparable ethical standards. All appli-
cable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines
for the care and participation of animals were followed.
Measurements
The Conners Scale: Teacher Questionnaire (Conners,
1969) was used to measure teacher’s perception of class-
room behavior, group behavior, and authority behavior.
The teacher rating scale was developed and comprised
of 39 items or symptoms, rated on a 4-point Likert scale
(“0–3”, where “0” indicates the absence of the problem,
and “3” indicates the most significant assessment (0: not
at all, 1: minor extent, 2: considerable extent, 3: very sig-
nificant extent). Factor analysis (Conners, 1969) found five
orthogonal factors of the scale: Conduct Problem, Inatten-
tive/Passive Behavior, Tension/ Anxiety, Hyperactivity, and
Sociability. Items of the scale are differed in three subscales:
classroom behavior, group behavior, and authority behavior.
Higher total score of the scale and subscales indicates more
severe symptoms of ADHD. This evaluation was carried
out before the start of the implementation of AAE, as well
as after the school year during which the dog was present
in lessons.
Listed exercises were chosen specifically to help to reme-
diate baseline issues identified with the two children, and
were created as alternatives based on the school education
program. They were designed to integrate as a follow-up
unit throughout the school year in each of the three sub-
ject lessons (drama, physical training, and language) each
week The interaction with the dog involved several possible
procedures, which were set up and then alternated to avoid
weakened attention of the presented children. All teachers
and parents agreed with suggested interactions, and activi-
ties practiced as a part of the teaching process. The following
activities were practiced in the study:
1. Exercises to relax the hand/develop fine motor skills
The participant was assigned the role of a keeper and
instructed to wiping the dog with a towel, combing,
679
petting, or calculating and distributing dry kibbles (as
rewards) into small piles. The participant could also give
a treat with their dominant hand to the dog and to pet the
animal as a reward for having managed each individual
section of the work.
2. Exercises to develop spatial (left to right) orientation in
terms of the plane field The child watches the dog roam
freely around the classroom. First, after giving the Stop
command, the dog stands still and the child is asked to
describe where the dog is now, applying spatial abili-
ties. Second, after giving the Sit command, the child is
asked to draw all the dog’s locations. Subsequently, the
pictures of the dog’s locations are assigned by spatial
abilities by the child in the co-operation with the han-
dler. Third, the child is tasked to leash the dog and walk
through a route devised by classmates (e.g. go right, go
behind the desk, sit down next to the blackboard, etc.),
to increase the interactions of all classmates.
3. Exercise to improve the child’s drawing and presenta-
tion skills The child is assigned a task to draw a dog-
associated experience and, subsequently, comment on
the artwork in front of the classmates.
4. Exercise focus on reading comprehension The “Diary of
white paw” was read along with all the classmates. The
participants were asked to say what the class read about
after a short section of reading was completed. During
the reading, the participant responded to the questions
found in the text.
Results
Results of the First Case Study
The first participant was a 7 years old boy, we will call
him Tobias. From his anamnesis, he grows up in a well-
functioning family with no history of mental health or devel-
opmental concerns. Intellectual skills within the intermedi-
ate zone (IQ = 85–115) was reported, with dysorthography
(a specific dysgraphic disorder of spelling which accom-
panies dyslexia by a direct consequence of the phonologi-
cal disorder), difficulties in attention, and family relations.
Postponement of school attendance was recommended, but
not implemented.
The results of the Conners Scale: Teacher Questionnaire
was used to evaluate the severity of ADHD. A higher total
score of the subscales indicates more severe symptoms
of ADHD. In the classroom behavior subscale, Tobias´s
achieved 31 points at the beginning of the school year. At
the end of the school year, the score was reduced to 9 points
(see Table 1). In the group behavior section, Tobias´s score
at the beginning of the school year was 17 points, and at the
end of the school year, it was 4 points (see Table 2). In the
13
680 V. Juríčková et al.

Table 1  Classroom behavior of Item no Item characteristics Tobias Emily

both children, before and after
treatment Baseline After 1 year Baseline After 1 year

1 Sits fiddling with small objects 2 1 2 1

2 Hums and makes other odd noises 1 0 1 0
3 Falls apart under stress of examination 3 1 2 1
4 Poor coordination 1 0 2 0
5 Restless or overactive 3 1 3 2
6 Excitable 2 1 0 0
7 Inattentive 2 1 3 1
8 Difficulty in concentrating 2 0 2 0
9 Oversensitive 3 1 3 3
10 Overly serious or sad 0 0 3 1
11 Daydreams 2 0 2 1
12 Sullen or sulky 1 0 2 0
13 Selfish 2 1 0 0
14 Disturbs other children 1 0 1 0
15 Quarrelsome 2 1 0 0
16 "Tattles" 1 0 3 0
17 Acts "smart" 2 1 1 0
18 Destructive 0 0 0 0
19 Steals 0 0 0 0
20 Lies 0 0 0 0
21 Temper outbursts 1 0 1 0
Total score 31 9 31 10

Table 2  Group behavior of Item no Item characteristics Tobias Emily

both children, before and after
treatment Baseline After 1 year Baseline After 1 year

22 Isolates oneself from others 1 0 1 0

23 Appears to be unaccepted by group 2 0 2 0
24 Appears to be easily led 3 2 3 3
25 No sense of fair play 2 0 2 0
26 Appears to lack leadership 3 1 3 1
27 Does not get along with opposite sex 2 0 2 0
28 Does not get along with same sex 1 0 1 0
29 Teases other children or interferes 3 1 1 0
with their activities
Total score 17 4 15 4

last part of the Connors scale focused on authority behav-
ior, the boy’s initial score was 8 points and at the end of the
school year, the score equaled three points (see Table 3). The
overall total score decreased from 56 to 16. The decreasing
scores indicate decreased severity of symptoms.
Results based on the observation before the AAE,
Tobias showed no difficulties in social contact-making,
but a state of constant psychomotor restlessness while
examination—mostly in the beginning of the activity, and
attention bound by secondary stimuli. The specified task
was always completed despite such stimuli. Reading skills
were at the appropriate level; it was observed a clear sepa-
ration of words, reading form restrained syllabification,
fragmentary understanding, reproducing the content in
points, but these skills seemed to be still developing. Writ-
ing showed a graphomotor weakening. The grip of writing
was within a standard, the arm was less relaxed, and exces-
sive pressure on the pencil was observed. Increased fatigue
while writing, was manifested by head holding extremely
low over the pad, or even putting the head on the desk.
Crossed laterality was found. The predominance of the
right hand has already settled, leading eye left. Right-left

13
Effect of Animal Assisted Education with a Dog Within Children with ADHD in the Classroom: A Case…
Table 3  Authority attitude of Item no Item characteristics
both children, before and after
treatment
30 Submissive
31 Defiant
32 Impudent
33 Shy
34 Fearful
35 Excessive demands for
teacher’s attention
36 Stubborn
37 Overly anxious to please
38 Uncooperative
39 Attendance problem
Total score
orientation was managed on his own body; orientation
in-plane field and space were problematic. The level of
visual perception was within the standard. In the area of
auditory perception, auditory synthesis (assembling words
from phones) appeared to be weakened- long words and
consonant aggregations made difficulties.
Prior to the therapy, the boy had difficulties maintaining
any activity. He was very explosive and quarreling, and the
schoolmates refused to let him be part of their group. He
was sometimes cheeky also toward the teacher. According
to Conners Scale: Teacher Questionnaire, teacher reported
that Tobias demanded instant satisfaction, was restless and
sensitive to criticism. He seemed to be easily influenced by
others and needed someone to supervise him. He irritated
other children or intervened in their affairs. In relation to
authority figures, he did not show any greater difficulties.
After completing the school year with AAE, the teacher
observed an overall improvement of behavior and more
pro-active participation in the activities of the collective
of classmates. In the context of evaluation using the scale
of attitudes toward authority figures, his ratings improved
in all items. Tobias enjoyed the interaction with a dog, and
their interaction could be considered a beneficial option
for ADHD therapy. As soon as the door of the class-
room was opened, Tobias ran towards the dog, not taking
into account of the handler, until getting an assignment
from the handler. He enjoyed coming up with joint activi-
ties and the dog became his best partner throughout the
lessons in terms of motivation, rectification, and under-
standing. All the activities described above, elaborated
into specific tasks with the dog as recommended, were
completed by Tobias with a great portion of willingness
and enthusiasm. Moreover, the presence of the dog had a
positive impact in terms of Tobias´ motor skills, spatial
orientation, encouraging in promoting drawing skills, and
reading comprehension.
681
Tobias Emily
Baseline After 1 year Baseline After 1 year
0 1 3 1
2 0 0 0
1 0 0 0
0 0 3 0
0 0 3 0
2 1 3 0
2 1 2 1
0 0 3 0
1 0 1 0
0 0 0 0
8 3 18 2
Results of the Second Case Study
The second participant was a 6 years old girl, we will call
her Emily. From her anamnesis, she grew up in a function-
ing family, but she was adopted several years ago by the
new family and the adaptation went without any problems.
At the time of the study, Emily reported that she feels safe
at home, and she called her new parents as mom and dad,
although she remembered the former family.
Results of The Conners Scale: The Teacher Question-
naire showed Emily´s initial score of 31 points in the
classroom behavior subscale. At the end of the school
year, the score was reduced to 10 points (see Table 1).
In the group behavior subscale, Emily´s score changed
during the school year from 15 to 4 points (see Table 2).
In the authority behavior, the initial score was 18 points,
and at the end of the school year, the score was reduced to
two points (see Table 3). The overall total score decreased
from 64 to 16. Also, in this case, the decreasing scores
indicate decreased severity of symptoms.
Emily is a girl with a mild mental disability determined
by a medical examination and with also attention and activ-
ity disorders, lack of concentration, poor vocabulary, low
self-confidence, shyness, and feelings of being emotionally
unfulfilled. It is necessary to follow the rules of working
with child with central nervous system impairment and
respect psycho-hygienic principles. At any opportunity, she
loved snuggling up to an adult towards whom she built trust
very quickly. She also needed the personal contact and prox-
imity of an adult in performing the tasks assigned. Social
skills were of a particularly good level and the girl was very
friendly. However, the symptom revealing a lack of atten-
tion was the slow pace at which she completed her work.
During the lessons, she needed a small space for relaxa-
tion in the form of physical activity, to switch locations and
body positions. Also, a constant motivation, encouraging her
13
682
self-confidence, and rewarding the successes were needed.
She has an individual education plan.
Prior to the beginning of AAE, Emily showed a consid-
erable lack of concentration and self-confidence, timidity,
emotional unfulfillment as evidenced by being too shy and
afraid to engage in any activity without support of someone
she trusts. She likes to snuggle on any occasion for an adult
she trusts very soon. Attention is combined with a slow work
pace. For Emily, communication is preferred to the success
of school work. She needs personal contact, closeness of an
adult in performing assigned tasks. Constant motivation is
needed. There must be a moment of relaxation in the lesson.
Whenever she engaged in a classroom activity, she needed
someone, class aid or teacher, to keep her motivated and sup-
port her all the time. Due to the Conners Scale, she exhibited
problems particularly in the following listed items concern-
ing an independent activity: restlessness, inattention, diffi-
culties concentrating, sensitivity to criticism, unhappy/sad
affect, and lability of mood. Regarding the working activities
in the group, the most problematic was that she was shy,
submissive, frightened, and too distressed to ask for advice.
After yearlong AAE, the score of the Conners Scale was
reduced (see Tables 1, 2 and 3).
During the AAE, Emily approached the dog before
addressing the handler, and the dog became a partner in her
every activity. In all the activities were performed in co-
operation with the dog. Emily made fewer mistakes in terms
of spatial orientation. She made a great effort while drawing
pictures linked to the dog’s life and was willing to present
her pictures to her classmates without any assistance. The
teacher observed significant changes in activity aiming at the
development of reading comprehension as well. Emily had
clearly shifted her need for physical contact from teachers
towards the dog. The dog became for Emily a remarkably
close partner which accepted “her and her manifestations of
emotional affection without any restriction”, as stated by the
teacher. She also mentions, that through the above-described
activities, she was losing her anxiety and fear. Moreover,
Emily´s pace of work increased, because she wanted to share
her results of the efforts with the dog before it will leave the
classroom.
Discussion
The present case study showed a positive role in dog-assisted
activities in a classroom with a child suffering from ADHD.
Both children participating in the study, Tobias (7 years) and
Emily (6 years), were diagnosed with ADHD. The severity
of their ADHD symptoms rated by their teacher remarkably
decreased after one school year. Symptoms were divided
into three areas, classroom behavior, group behavior, and
authority behavior rated at the beginning and at the end of
13
V. Juríčková et al.
the school year. Both participants achieved a lower score in
all subscales and total scores at the end of the study. The
observation of the experimenter and teacher also confirmed
the positive effect of the dog in the classroom. Based on
these results, we certainly believe that a therapy dog may
have a beneficial impact on social behavior in school within
the children with ADHD.
The baseline data provided by the teacher about the first
participant, Tobias, declared some learning and behavioral
difficulties at the beginning of the study. After completing
the school year with AAE, the teacher observed an overall
improvement of his behavior. This effect was also observed
in a study of Schuck et al. (2018) where it was found that
the presence of an animal in the classroom could have an
improvement in self-confidence, self-esteem, and academic
competences. Tobias showed more pro-active participation
in classroom activities, and worked with more willingness
and enthusiasm. These results were similar to another study
(Gee, Griffin, & McCardle, 2017) which concluded that
animal-assisted interventions could have a positive impact
on children in the classroom. Improving in Tobias´ motor
skills, spatial orientation, encouraging in promoting draw-
ing skills, and reading comprehension was also observed.
Machová et al. (2018) also reported that the dog could be
involved in AAE and help children with special education
needs. In this article, the main mentioned factor was the
motivation element which was achieved by the presence of
the dog in the classroom. The teacher reported more proac-
tive behavior and better collaboration with Tobias.
The second participant, Emily, showed difficulties in
attention, lack of concentration, and low self-confidence at
the beginning of the study. She was shy and afraid to engage
in any classroom activity. After yearlong AAE, comparing
the pre and post-evaluation observed by the teacher, Emily
looked less anxious, was increased cooperative behavior
with classmates, and her pace of work increased. These
effects reported also Chitic, Rusu, & Szamoskozi (2012) and
Gee et al. (2017), mentioning an increase of social inter-
actions, and reporting an improvement in children´s social
skills and prosocial behavior (Schuck et al., 2015).
The presented case study states that AAE was beneficial
for both children with ADHD. The participation of a dog
in the classroom seems to decrease the severity of various
difficulties caused by ADHD symptomatology. Presented
findings are not generalizable but they could support addi-
tional research in the area of AAE in children diagnosed
with ADHD, or children presenting ADHD symptomatic
behaviors, which is much needed.
Our results are limited with the absence of a control group
or a greater number of observed children. We involved a dog
for AAE, so we cannot conclude the general positive effect
of any animal. We cannot also exclude the possibility of a
positive influence on other factors. However, AAE in both
Effect of Animal Assisted Education with a Dog Within Children with ADHD in the Classroom: A Case…
participants was based on their special education needs and
focused on the longitudinal observational data (one school
year) in the school environment. We believe that this case
study will be beneficial for more specialists interacting with
children with any disabilities or special educational needs.
The ability to focus on learning is one of the most critical
domains in children diagnosed with ADHD. This case study
demonstrates the possibility to improve this area involving
AAE with a dog because his presence can provide emo-
tional support and a trusted companion to the child and that
can help remove fears of failure. Moreover, participants
completed the school tasks with more enthusiasm and their
learning abilities were improved. The implementation of
the dog into the educational process seemed to make the
classroom environment more pleasant and friendly. The dog
appeared to be a form of support or a friend for the children.
Maybe, a dog could be a reason to lose the fear of the school
and to look forward to school.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that involving a dog as part of AAE
within children with ADHD appears to be a beneficial activ-
ity. Children with ADHD exhibited the improvement in con-
centration, communication with teachers, and co-operation
with their classmates after 1 year of AAE with a dog. The
teacher and experimenter also observed social and commu-
nicational improvements, and remarkably decreased severity
of the ADHD symptoms in the classroom, group and author-
ity behavior. We conclude that the AAE in both participants
had a positive effect, and we strongly recommend the partici-
pation of a dog in AAE to eliminate the ADHD symptoms.
However, further research is needed to support our findings.
More research and deeper knowledge in this area should be
helpful in ADHD therapy.
Acknowledgements This study is a result of the research project Nr.
LO1611 with a financial support from the MEYS under the NPU I
program. This study was also supported by the Research centre of
Charles University, programme Progress = C4 = 8D. Q 06/LF1 = 20.
Thanks to Ing. Petra Eretová for the help with manuscript preparation.
Funding The authors have no funding to report.
Compliance with Ethical Standards
Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of
interest.
Ethical Approval In accordance with Springer policy and ethical
obligation as researchers, we report that we have no financial and/or
business interests that may be affected by the research reported in the
enclosed paper.
683
Research Involving Human and Animal Rights In our study, an animal
is included and the work with it has been authorized and based on the
determination of the Ethical Board of the Czech University of Life
sciences. This provision is not an attempt and all animal welfare have
been followed. The study was approved by the Institutional Review
Board of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
Informed Consent Informed consent was obtained from parents on
behalf of the children enrolled in the study and all children were asked
about their preference for the potential presence of the dog during the
therapeutic sessions before the enrollment. Both the school manage-
ment and parents agreed to involve the dog in the class. The dog was
involved in teaching in previous years and attended regularly. In this
particular year, two students were selected for whom the effect of the
dog‘s presence was described and the parents agreed to publish the
results.
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