A study conducted in Russia investigated the effectiveness of a program integrating animal- and plant- assisted therapy with young children with speech problems. The program – referred to as the Ecotherapy Program – includes education, rehabilitation, communication, and correction components. Education familiarizes children with wildlife; rehabilitation engages children in art, work, animal and garden therapy; communication focuses on speech activity and social adaptation; and correction engages the children in fine motor skills, finger games, and tongue twisters. In addition to the development of coherent speech and communication skills, other goals of the program include reducing manifestations of neurological disorders, fostering creativity and imagination, promoting collective work and cooperation skills, and fostering an understanding of the interrelations between nature and humans.
The program consists of 30 lessons offered over a period of three and a half months. One animal-assisted and one plant-assisted lesson are conducted each week, with each lesson being 30 minutes in length.
An experimental testing of the program was conducted in an arctic region of Russia where the duration of the polar night is 23 days. Twelve children (ages six and seven) with different types and degrees of general speech disturbances participated in the study. A control group of 12 children were in the same kindergarten and had similar speech-related diagnoses but did not participate in the Ecotherapy Program. A variety of psychological (including projective personality testing) and physiological tests (as proxies for cognitive functioning) were administered to both the experimental and control groups. Logopaedic (speech therapy) monitoring was also carried out with both groups.
Results indicated that all the children participating in the Ecotherapy Program made greater gains than the control group in vocabulary enrichment, communication skill development, complexity of speech structure, positive psycho-emotional states, observation skills, self-assurance, creativity, and imagination.
After the experimental testing, the Ecotherapy Program was conducted in another arctic region of Russia and in a more moderate area of Norway. Based on results from these two sites, the researchers deemed the program to be most suitable for the Arctic and Subarctic, as elements of the program seem to help children overcome polar night negative effects, including scarce greenery and fewer opportunities for social interaction.
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