Delfinų terapija Lietuvoje: nuo idėjos iki teisinio reglamentavimo

Aim of research – is to review the development of Dolphin Assisted Therapy as a method of comple- mentary medicine from idea to legitimation. Methodology. Analysis of scientific articles, metaanalysis of researches. Research results. Analysis of scientific articles brought to the light fact that Dolphin Assisted Therapy was under the methodological transformation for the last ten years. The very first scientific ideas with medi- cal orientation in Dolphin Assisted Therapy were not the true ones, as far therapy is not a method of treat- ment and medical parameters were mostly the same measuring them before and after therapy. However later researches revealed that Dolphin Assisted Therapy is very much helpful as a method of special support – the greatest changes were measured in participants in the spheres of psychoemotional expression and social life. The biggest measured changes were in self-sufficiency formation, higher social adaptation abilities, better- ment in family‘s inner sense of coherence, verbal expression, friendship in peer groups.