AAT Client Assessment & Care Planning 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which assessment finding would be considered a CONTRAINDICATION to initiating AAT?
- Mild social anxiety
- Active zoonotic infection in the client (Correct answer)
- History of pet ownership
- Low motivation for traditional talk therapy
Correct answer: Active zoonotic infection in the client
An active zoonotic infection poses a direct health risk to both the therapy animal and other clients, making AAT contraindicated until resolved.
Question 2: In AAT care planning, what is the primary purpose of establishing baseline measurements?
- To satisfy insurance billing requirements
- To provide a reference point for measuring progress over time (Correct answer)
- To document the animal's behavior before sessions
- To compare the client with national norms
Correct answer: To provide a reference point for measuring progress over time
Baseline measurements establish a pre-treatment reference point that allows objective comparison of outcomes as treatment progresses.
Question 3: A client discloses severe animal neglect during childhood during an AAT intake assessment. How should this affect care planning?
- Exclude AAT from the plan entirely
- Use the disclosure to explore unresolved trauma within a trauma-informed AAT framework (Correct answer)
- Proceed with AAT without modification as past neglect does not affect current therapy
- Refer the client to animal welfare services before continuing
Correct answer: Use the disclosure to explore unresolved trauma within a trauma-informed AAT framework
A trauma-informed approach uses the client's history to guide sensitive, appropriately paced AAT interventions rather than excluding the modality.
Question 4: Which of the following is the BEST example of a short-term AAT objective for a client with depression?
- Client will no longer experience depressive symptoms after 6 months
- Client will independently groom the therapy dog for 5 minutes during each of the next 4 sessions (Correct answer)
- Client will enjoy spending time with animals
- Client will complete the full AAT program
Correct answer: Client will independently groom the therapy dog for 5 minutes during each of the next 4 sessions
Short-term objectives are specific, behavioral, measurable, and time-limited, as demonstrated by the grooming task with defined parameters.
Question 5: A care plan notes that the client has a latex allergy. Why is this relevant to AAT?
- It is not relevant to AAT unless the client handles animals directly
- Some animal handling equipment, leashes, or collars may contain latex, requiring substitution (Correct answer)
- Latex allergy only matters in medical AAT settings
- The therapy animal may have been vaccinated with latex-sealed vials
Correct answer: Some animal handling equipment, leashes, or collars may contain latex, requiring substitution
Animal handling equipment such as leashes, collars, or gloves may contain latex, requiring substitution to prevent allergic reactions.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in AAT care planning?
- The AAT therapist works independently to avoid conflicting opinions
- Care plans are developed and reviewed with the client's treatment team to ensure coordination (Correct answer)
- Only the animal handler and therapist need to collaborate
- Collaboration is optional and depends on the setting
Correct answer: Care plans are developed and reviewed with the client's treatment team to ensure coordination
Effective AAT care planning involves coordinating with the broader treatment team to align goals, share information, and prevent conflicting interventions.
Question 7: When reviewing the effectiveness of an AAT care plan, which outcome measure is MOST aligned with mental health goals?
- Number of animal interactions per session
- Client-reported changes in mood, anxiety, or functioning using validated scales (Correct answer)
- The therapy animal's health records
- Session attendance rates only
Correct answer: Client-reported changes in mood, anxiety, or functioning using validated scales
Validated self-report and clinician-rated scales measuring mood, anxiety, and functioning provide objective evidence of treatment effectiveness.
AAT Client Assessment & Care Planning 4
Which assessment finding would be considered a CONTRAINDICATION to initiating AAT?