Fairman S K, Huebner R A
Richardson and Associates in Rehabilitation, Lexington, Kentucky.
Occup Ther Health Care. 2001;13(2):41-52. doi: 10.1080/J003v13n02_03.
Objective. This study examined the physical, emotional, social, and economic functions of service dogs, the training methods for service dog/owner teams, and problems encountered with service dogs in relationship to occupational therapy literature and domain of concern. Method. A 31-question survey was developed based on the literature and Uniform Terminology (AOTA, 1994) and was completed by 202 service dog owners from 40 states and Canada. Results. Owners reported that service dogs assisted them in 28 functional tasks, helped them to feel safe, increased their social interaction, and reduced physical assistance by others. Problems with service dogs included difficulty with dog maintenance and public awareness of their role as a worker or assistant to the owner. Over 80% of respondents desired additional training in alternative ways to perform daily living tasks. Conclusion. The use of service dogs is consistent with the occupational therapy domain of concern and practice. Occupational therapists might collaborate with service dog trainers and potential owners in referral, assessment, training, and follow-up services.
目的。本研究根据职业治疗文献及相关关注领域，考察了服务犬的身体、情感、社交和经济功能、服务犬/主人团队的训练方法，以及服务犬所遇到的问题。方法。基于文献和统一术语（美国职业治疗协会，1994年）编制了一份包含31个问题的调查问卷，由来自美国40个州和加拿大的202名服务犬主人填写。结果。主人报告称，服务犬协助他们完成了28项功能任务，帮助他们感到安全，增加了他们的社交互动，并减少了他人的身体协助。服务犬存在的问题包括犬只照料困难以及公众对其作为主人的工作者或助手角色的认知不足。超过80%的受访者希望获得以其他方式执行日常生活任务的额外培训。结论。服务犬的使用与职业治疗关注领域和实践一致。职业治疗师可在转介、评估、训练及后续服务方面与服务犬训练师和潜在主人开展合作。
