Scientific research

Our dolphintherapy program is under scientific research:

My name is Oksana Dąbrowska, I am the President of the “Good Village” Foundation (Fundacja Dobra Wioska) from Warsaw. I also work as psychologist and direct the dolphin assisted therapy program conducted by our foundation. Our program has been successfully applied since 6 years according to the original method I have developed on the basis of two dolphinariums in Turkey: Adaland, Kusadasi and Sealanya, Turkler. Every year we provide the program to almost 120 families from Poland, Russia, Germany, England and further countries. The program is under scientific research. As an author of this method I am developing the research which focuses on improving social contacts and communication competence as well as the speech of children with mental impairment. The research is supervised by professor Anatolii Chuprikov from Medical Academy in Kiev in Ukraine, who is the scientific consultant in the group of 7 NEMO dolphinariums in Ukraine.
Within the framework of dolphin assisted program conducted by Foundation “Good Village” our specialized therapists (psychologists and pedagogues) work with children who reached 2 years of age and have developmental disorders. Most common disorders of our proteges are infantile autism, genetic disorders and cerebral palsy. During the two week therapy participants take 10 sessions of dolphin assisted therapy, each
lasting 25 minutes and additionally 10 hours of group sessions (art-therapy, family therapy, group integration, relaxation) designated for parents, children and their siblings.

In the method realized within the Foundation’s program the primary focus is on building close relations between the patient and dolphin by means of the therapist implementing elements of interactive play. By involving each patient’s family members we prepare therapeutic strategy in such way to stimulate development of that child through individually prepared set of games and exercise from wide range of exercises and possible for the patient to perform. The compulsory part of therapy is relaxation combined with the influence of natural dolphin’s sonar. If possible the patient’s position should be on the back with his/her hear in the water close to hydrolocator, situated in the forehead part of dolphin’s head.
Dolphin assisted therapy positively influences multiple spheres of functioning of children with mental impairment, whereas during the research that is being conducted we focus on communication competence improvement of these children.
Positive effects in multiple spheres of functioning together with communication competence improvement have been noted in over 500 questionnaires filled by parents and the protocols filed by the therapists working with children. Together with other specialized therapists from the Foundation and under professor Chuprikov’s supervision I am conducting the research, which fulfills all the requirements and scientific norms. Upon the finalization of my research we intend to present to the international society the proof for effectiveness of dolphin assisted therapy. This is highly important to all organizations providing the programs based on dolphin assisted therapy, as despite the popularity of this method worldwide there’s still inefficient amount of proof for it’s effectiveness.
Due to the international character of the method conducted by us we would like to offer your organization an opportunity to cooperate with us. For the research to be solid and reliable we require high number of participants on dolphin assisted sessions. We have many families who agreed on taking part in the research, however most of them cannot afford to pay such excessive cost. In our program the 2 week therapy costs approximately 3000 EUR (three thousand Euro) for the therapeutic package and another 3000 EUR (three thousand Euro) for the travel & accommodation package for 3 person family. The Foundation covers additional cost for conducting the research such as accommodation and salaries for the specialists conducting the research. Your organization could initiate the support of our scientific research by directing to us your proteges’ or by financing the cost of participation for our patients (our therapists speak English, French, German, Russian and Polish).

The Foundation’s program is presented in detail in English version of the website here.
I also recommend you go through our photo reports and gallery.
If you are interested in our offer please contact me directly or visit us in Poland or Turkey.

With regards,
Oksana Dąbrowska
The President of Foundation’s Management Board
e-mail: oksana@dobrawioska.pl

What we did:

International Conference: „Motion is life” – modern methods of rehabilitation. Animal assisted therapy and sportOctober 17th 2015 Turkey

International Conference: „Speech and Communication Development – Dolphin Assisted Therapy” 18-19 October 2014 Turkey