ANIMAL-ASSISTED EDUCATION AS A POSSIBILITY FOR INCLUSIVE PRACTICE

Abstract

This study aims to understand the influence of Animal-Assisted Education on the formal processes undertaken in the early stages of Primary Education. It reflects on equal opportunities, specifically in the context of inclusive education, based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning, challenging the barriers imposed by the medical conception of disability and its impact on equal access to education. The literature review enabled the identification of the theoretical framework and supported the field research conducted in a Primary Education school throughout the first semester of 2023. Animal-Assisted Education fostered the development of enjoyable and stimulating activities for children, leveraging the emotional relationship they established with the dog as a catalyst for learning. The conclusions allow us to assert that the interaction between children and the dog was an opportunity to promote self-confidence, communication, learning, and the development of social skills.