AAT Risk Management Protocols 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A therapy dog suddenly growls at a client during a session. What is the FIRST action the AAT practitioner should take?
- Document the behavior for future reference
- Immediately remove the animal from the client's presence (Correct answer)
- Ask the client what they did to provoke the animal
- Continue the session while monitoring the animal closely
Correct answer: Immediately remove the animal from the client's presence
When an animal shows warning signs of aggression, immediate physical separation of the animal from the client is the priority to prevent injury.
Question 2: Which of the following client populations requires the MOST stringent risk assessment before introducing an animal-assisted therapy component?
- Adults with mild depression
- Children with severe animal phobia (Correct answer)
- Elderly clients with mild cognitive impairment
- Adults recovering from knee surgery
Correct answer: Children with severe animal phobia
Clients with severe animal phobia face significant psychological risk from animal exposure and require careful assessment before any AAT is introduced.
Question 3: What does the term 'stress stacking' refer to in the context of AAT animal welfare?
- Accumulation of multiple minor stressors that collectively overwhelm an animal (Correct answer)
- Physical stacking of therapy supplies in the animal's environment
- Scheduling too many client sessions back-to-back
- Layering protective equipment on the therapy animal
Correct answer: Accumulation of multiple minor stressors that collectively overwhelm an animal
Stress stacking occurs when multiple small stressors accumulate over time, pushing an animal beyond its stress threshold even when no single stressor seems severe.
Question 4: An AAT practitioner learns that a client is immunocompromised due to chemotherapy. Which protocol is MOST appropriate?
- Proceed normally since the animal is regularly vaccinated
- Consult with the client's medical team before initiating any animal contact (Correct answer)
- Limit sessions to 15 minutes to reduce exposure risk
- Use a stuffed animal instead without informing the treatment team
Correct answer: Consult with the client's medical team before initiating any animal contact
Immunocompromised clients face elevated zoonotic disease risks, so collaboration with the medical team is essential before introducing animal contact.
Question 5: Which of the following is a recognized cutaneous zoonotic risk in AAT settings?
- Ringworm (dermatophytosis) (Correct answer)
- Lyme disease
- Psittacosis
- Toxoplasmosis
Correct answer: Ringworm (dermatophytosis)
Ringworm is a fungal infection transmissible through direct skin contact with an infected animal and is a known cutaneous zoonotic risk in therapy settings.
Question 6: In AAT documentation, what is the purpose of recording an animal's 'pre-session baseline' behavior?
- To satisfy insurance requirements
- To provide a reference for detecting changes that may indicate stress or illness (Correct answer)
- To demonstrate the animal's training history to clients
- To comply with facility marketing standards
Correct answer: To provide a reference for detecting changes that may indicate stress or illness
Documenting baseline behavior allows practitioners to identify deviations that could signal the animal is stressed, unwell, or unsafe to work with that day.
Question 7: A client unexpectedly reaches to hug the therapy animal around the neck without warning. The handler should:
- Allow the embrace since it shows therapeutic rapport
- Gently redirect the client and teach appropriate interaction techniques (Correct answer)
- End the session immediately and report a safety incident
- Ask another staff member to intervene on the handler's behalf
Correct answer: Gently redirect the client and teach appropriate interaction techniques
Redirecting the client and educating them on safe animal interaction protects both the animal from stress and the client from potential bite risk.
AAT Risk Management Protocols 2
A therapy dog suddenly growls at a client during a session.
What is the FIRST action the AAT practitioner should take?