Therapy dogs as trustworthy facilitators in language-based emotional concept interventions for adolescents with adjustment difficulties

Abstract In recent years, the increasing recognition of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has prompted researchers to call for targeted studies focusing on specific age groups or disorders in the field of speech and language pathology. This study investigated the effect of therapy on emotional expression in adolescents with language disorder. The participants were adolescent with adjustment difficulties, aged 11–12 from School for Social Development in Hong Kong, who were randomly assigned to two groups: one receiving traditional therapy and the other incorporating therapy dogs into the sessions. The therapy outcomes were measured through situation tasks at pre-, mid-, and post-tests. The results showed that both interventions were effective, with no significant differences in the test scores between the groups. However, behavioural observations indicated higher motivation and engagement levels among the students in the AAT group. This suggests that while therapy dogs may not significantly alter the immediate outcomes of speech and language therapy, they could enhance participants’ engagement and motivation, offering valuable insights for tailoring therapeutic approaches to adolescents with communication challenges.