Topic 1.4 Practice Principles in Assistance Animal Occupational Therapy

Assistance animal occupational therapy requires more than an understanding of disability, occupational performance and animal training. Effective practice requires professionals to understand the values, frameworks and approaches that guide ethical, inclusive and person-centred support.

Occupational therapists working in assistance animal practice must recognise that each person’s experience of disability is unique and shaped by their individual strengths, goals, environment, identity, relationships and lived experiences. A high-quality assessment does not focus only on diagnosis or impairment, but considers the whole person and the interaction between the person, the environment, occupations and the assistance animal.

Contemporary assistance animal practice is increasingly informed by approaches that promote autonomy, inclusion, dignity and participation. These approaches recognise the importance of respecting disability identity, supporting diverse ways of communicating and functioning, acknowledging the impact of trauma and systemic barriers, and ensuring that both human and animal wellbeing are considered throughout the partnership.

The following spotlights explore key practice principles that underpin ethical assistance animal occupational therapy, including:

• Neuroaffirming Assistance Animal Practice
• Trauma-Informed Assistance Animal Practice
• Person-Centred Assistance Animal Practice
• Disability-Affirming Assistance Animal Practice
• Strengths-Based Assistance Animal Practice
• Recovery-Oriented Assistance Animal Practice
• Supported Decision-Making in Assistance Animal Practice
• Universal Design and Accessibility in Assistance Animal Practice
• Relationship-Based Human–Animal Partnership Practice
• One Health and Holistic Human–Animal Wellbeing Approach
• Intersectional Practice in Disability and Assistance Animal Services

Together, these approaches support occupational therapists to move beyond a deficit-based understanding of disability and towards practice that promotes participation, autonomy, inclusion and sustainable human–animal partnerships. They provide a framework for ensuring that assistance animal recommendations are not only clinically appropriate, but also ethical, culturally responsive, evidence-informed and respectful of both the person and the animal.