Terminology

• Animal Assisted Therapy: AAT is a goal-oriented, planned, and structured therapeutic intervention directed and/or delivered by health, education, and human service professionals. Intervention progress is measured and included in professional documentation. AAT is delivered and/or directed by a formally trained (with active licensure, degree, or equivalent) professional with expertise within the scope of the professionals' practice. AAT focuses on enhancing physical, cognitive, behavioral, and/or socioemotional functioning of the particular human recipient.
• Animal Assisted Activities: AAA is a planned and goal-oriented informal interaction and visitation conducted by the human-animal team for motivational, educational, and recreational purposes. ... Human-animal teams who provide AAA may also work formally and directly with a healthcare, educator, and/or human service provider on specific documentable goals. In this case, they are participating in [AAT] that is conducted by a specialist in his/her profession. Examples of AAA include animal-assisted crisis response that focuses on providing comfort and support for trauma, crisis, and disaster survivors and visiting companion animals for "meet and greet" activities with residents in nursing homes.
• Animal Assisted Education: AAE is a goal-oriented, planned, and structured intervention directed and/or delivered by educational and related service professional. AAE is conducted by a qualified (with degree) general and special education teacher. Regular education teachers who conduct AAE must have knowledge of the animals involved. An example of AAE delivered by a regular education teacher is an educational visit that promotes responsible pet ownership. AAE, when done by special (remedial) education teachers is also considered therapeutic and goal-oriented intervention. The focus of the activities is on academic goals, prosocial goals, and cognitive functioning. The student's progress is measured and documented. An example of AAE delivered by a special education teacher is a dog-assisted reading program. 
• Animal Assisted Interventions: AAI is a goal-oriented and structured intervention that intentional includes or incorporates animals in health, education, and human service (e.g., social work) for the purpose of therapeutic gains in humans. It involves people with knowledge of the people and animals involved. AAIs incorporate human-animal teams in formal human service such as [AAT], [AAE], or ...[AAA].