Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is defined by the international non-profit organisation Delta Society as a goal-oriented intervention in which the therapeutic goal is achieved by the involvement of a purpose-trained animal in the therapeutic process. Historically, William Tuke was the first to document the use of animal-assisted therapy in the eighteenth century. He believed that people in mental hospitals were subjected to inhumane treatment and helped to improve their lives by encouraging them to care for animals (Adams, 2010). Animal-assisted therapy is based to some extent on the theory of biophilia, a hypothesis first introduced by Wilson and Kellert in 1993. The hypothesis explains that all humans are innately connected to nature and other living things.

AAT uses the human-animal bond as an integral part of the treatment process in targeted interventions. Working animals and their handlers must be trained and meet a number of specific criteria. A licensed therapist, working within the framework of professional practice, sets therapeutic goals, guides patient-animal interaction, measures the process required to achieve therapeutic goals, and evaluates the process (Pandey et al., 2024)

Several studies have shown that dog-assisted therapy has a significant positive impact on the lives of children with developmental disabilities, particularly in terms of their ability to concentrate and motivation to work. The presence of dogs during the therapy process provides emotional support and creates a sense of security for the children (Nurenberg et al., 2015). This atmosphere allows them to be more open, express themselves more efficiently, and participate actively in learning. Interaction with dogs helps them develop their social skills and plays a key role in maintaining attention and concentration (Bert et al., 2016).

Our systematic analyses of the physiological and psychological effects of AAT (Balogh et al., 2024; Kovács et al., 2024) and the literature provide evidence of the positive effects of animal-assisted programmes on physiological health. Positive and supportive effects on both the nervous and motor systems have been demonstrated compared to control groups receiving standard therapy. The magnitude of the effect may vary depending on the type, nature, severity and comorbidity of the disorder. Research confirm that AAT improves the development of children with autism and can have a significant positive effect on recovery from surgery. The new models support the complex management of disorders, including their physiological and psychological aspects (Rowlands et al., 2018).

The aim of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) in preschool and primary school children, with a particular focus on reducing behavioural and cognitive problems, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder. Research will focus on the therapeutic development of children with special educational needs (SNI). Our research question was: To what extent does animal-assisted therapy contribute to the reduction of behavioural, cognitive and emotional problems and the development of social skills in preschool and pre-school children? Our main research hypothesis: animal-assisted therapy will result in significant improvements in children's behavioural and cognitive functioning, particularly in the reduction of oppositional behaviour, hyperactivity and attention deficit symptoms. In addition, we hypothesized that animal-assisted therapy would result in more effective improvements in children with SNI than in healthy children.

The sample was drawn in Hungary and Romania. A study group (N=114) and a control group (N=87) were created. The study group included 77 healthy children and 37 children with SNI, while the control group included 32 children with SNI and 55 healthy children. The control group design provided an opportunity to measure the experimental conditions and effects more accurately. The control group consisted of children who did not participate in the intervention, so a comparison allowed for a valid evaluation of the impact of the programme. The groups were designed using a randomised controlled trial (RCT), i.e. children were randomly assigned to each group. The control group allowed the comparison of outcomes along the AAT. The study used questionnaires, which allowed us to collect data in a structured way. In our self-designed Sociodemographic Questionnaire, we formulated questions on gender, age, type of residence, parents' highest level of education, family structure, subjectively assessed financial situation, number of siblings, special educational needs, and behaviour in educational institutions. To monitor the child's perceived behaviour, we used the parent version of the Conners Child Behaviour Questionnaire (Conners, 1970, 1973), designed to help diagnose hyperactive children and measure a wide range of behavioural problems in children aged 3-17 years. Additionally, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Questionnaire (Turi et al., 2011), designed by the English child psychiatrist Robert Goodman, was based on the Rutter parent questionnaire, which is shorter than the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) version of the most commonly used behavioural and emotional problems, but needed further development. A total of ten weekly sessions, each lasting half an hour, of animal-assisted occupational therapy were offered to participants. This decision was based on clinical experience, as no established protocols were available to determine the ideal number of sessions. Children assigned to the occupational therapy group received ten sessions with a therapy dog, while those in the control group did not receive dog-assisted therapy. Each therapy session featured interventions focused on occupation and aimed at achieving specific goals, including socialisation and communication, and the development of visual perception, creative thinking, language skills and observation and imitation skills.

The primary results of the study showed a significant improvement in Conners Scale scores when comparing pre-and post-therapy conditions. According to the study, children reported lower levels of resistance and hyperactivity after the intervention, while their cognitive functioning also improved. These results represent an improvement in their condition and suggest that animal-assisted therapy effectively reduces symptoms associated with attention deficit and hyperactivity. The study of Rehn et al. (2023) supports these findings, providing a detailed analysis of how this type of therapeutic intervention can improve the quality of life for children with ADHD. The research highlights the benefits of interacting with animals, which can enhance children's social skills and emotional well-being. The Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) also showed a significant reduction in the level of behavioural problems experienced during the intervention. The research results suggest that therapy animals, particularly dogs, can reduce anxiety and stress levels in children. Interaction with animals provides a sense of security that helps to build emotional attachment, making children more willing and active participants in therapy. Interaction with therapy animals provides a sense of safety and helps emotional bonding (McDowall et al., 2023), which can be particularly important for children with special educational needs who often find it more difficult to find a foothold in traditional forms of education and therapy (Meixner & Kotrschal, 2022). The research confirms that the presence of dogs not only has a positive impact on children's emotional well-being but also plays an important role in the practice of social interaction. In contact with dogs, children can learn appropriate behaviours in a safe environment and play a key role in developing communication and empathy. These steps can be particularly important in dealing with oppositional behaviour, where children need help learning social norms (Rehn et al., 2023).

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