On the Rabbit Farm, opened two weeks ago in the Regional Landscape Park master a new animal therapy direction – the rodentia-therapy helping children with special needs to overcome difficulties with communication and socialization.
Along with Forest School and Pony Farm, the Rabbit Farm is one of the Summer Camp’s innovations this season. The pupils of the Club of Young Naturalists take care of two tens rabbits living on the farm. They give excursion lessons for children from the Feldman Ecopark’s Summer Camp, telling about habits and behaviours of these animals, about keeping requirements etc. During the lessons tame animals are placed in a special contact zone where children can feed the animals and play with them.
The Rabbit Farm is a new training and eco therapeutic activity in the Summer Camp. It is highly important for children with special needs. For the second consecutive year within the Summer Camp we give classes for pupils of the Kharkiv Centre for social, pedagogic and occupational rehabilitation of children disabled since childhood “Promin”, the Kharkiv special needs school №2 and other similar institutions. The summer camp programme for such children is broadly the same as in our usual summer camps but with emphasis on psychosocial rehabilitation by eco-therapy. Here except equine-, kanis-, asinus-therapies, the rodentia-therapy on the Rabbit Farm opened — the head of Feldman Ecopark’s humanitarian programmes Iryna Yavorska tells.
Besides, the animal therapy lessons with tortoises or testudo-therapy are organized. In the new spacious enclosure with big spurred tortoise children can watch behavior of ancient reptiles and even to pat these unusual creations of nature.
According to experts, the communication with such animals as rabbits and their ilk promotes development of intelligence, teaches delicate handling during tactile contacts with our smaller brothers, helps to overcome complexes, relaxes tight muscles and reduces anxiety, psychic tension and aggression.
The psychologists dealing with animal therapy give pride of place to lessons with tortoises, testudo-therapy as this animal has calming and relaxation effect, the children like to watch their slow but confident movements. Tortoises are especially effective when working with overactive children.
It should be reminded that children’s health-improving and educational camps are open during the summer holidays in Feldman Ecopark since 2015. In addition to recreation and health improvement, sports activities and communication with peers, children have the opportunity to acquire additional knowledge and skills of animal and plant care. Moreover, since last year the special camp for children with special needs works where the eco-therapy sessions are provided. The camps are absolutely free of charge for all children.
