An updated review of the efficacy of dolphin‐assisted therapy for autism and developmental disabilities... It seems it has no therapeutic value

Third time's the charm or three strikes you're out? An updated review of the efficacy of dolphin‐assisted therapy for autism and developmental disabilities. Lori Marino  Scott O. Lilienfeld. Journal of Clinical Psychology, January 22 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23110

Abstract

Context: Dolphin‐assisted therapy (DAT) is a popular form of animal‐assisted therapy for autism spectrum disorders and other psychological conditions.

Objective: In this review, our third, we analyze the most recent DAT studies in terms of construct and internal validity criteria to determine if there is empirical support for DAT.

Method: To ensure a systematic review, we searched for peer‐reviewed studies on DAT by submitting relevant search terms to Google Scholar from 2007 to 2020, conducted a further search of all DAT papers in several peer‐reviewed journals, and reviewed reference sections of DAT articles to ensure a thorough review of the literature between 2007 and the present.

Results: The DAT literature continues to be marked by several weaknesses in both internal and construct validity that preclude confident inferences regarding the intervention's efficacy.

Conclusion: There is still insufficient evidence that DAT has therapeutic value.