Every field has its own unique language, and the therapy animal world is no different.
You may see terms like AAI, AAT, AAE, and AAA used, or encounter people using different words to describe similar types of work. That can make it difficult to know what to search for, which resources apply to you, and how to describe the type of work you want to do with a therapy animal.
This confusion is common across the field. A 2024 publication from AAAIP and Pet Partners found 1,414 different terms used to describe animal-assisted interventions between 2013 and 2023 (Green et al.). More than 75% of those terms were used only once. AAAIP points to this inconsistency as one reason that clear, shared terminology matters.
Learning a few core terms can make the field much easier to understand. It can also help you communicate more clearly with your colleagues, supervisors, administrators, and others who may be involved in your work.
What Does AAI Mean?
AAI stands for Animal-Assisted Interventions.
Animal-assisted interventions is the broad term used to describe work involving therapy or facility animals. Within that larger category are several more specific types of work, including animal-assisted therapy, animal-assisted education, and animal-assisted activities.
Think of AAI as the umbrella term. The more specific term you use depends on the kind of work you are doing, the goals you are trying to achieve, and your professional role.
This shared language helps professionals understand one another and makes it easier for people entering the field to find the resources and guidance they need.
AAAIP continues to support the established term “animal-assisted interventions” because it is already used across textbooks, policies, certification standards, and other professional materials.
What Is a Therapy Animal?
One definition that’s crucial to know when it comes to AAI is “therapy animal.” A therapy animal is a pet that has been evaluated for their ability to safely interact with individuals in the actual or simulated work environment for the professional that they partner with.
Therapy animals work in partnership with their handlers. They may participate in visits, educational programs, or professional interventions depending on the handler’s role and the setting. Handlers can be the actual professionals administering the AAI, or a volunteer handler who works alongside the professional while they conduct the intervention. The model used will depend on several factors, which you can learn about here.
An important distinction is that therapy animals do not have automatic public access rights. They must be invited into the spaces where they participate.
That makes therapy animals different from service animals, which have a different role and different legal protections.
What About Facility Animals?
Facility animals are a type of therapy animal who are regularly present in a residential, clinical, or educational setting.
Facility animals may receive extensive training to prepare for the environment where they work. Like other therapy animals, they still need permission to be in that setting and do not have automatic public access rights.
Understanding these differences will help you determine the right type of AAI program for your work, and helps you explain that program clearly to colleagues, administrators, and the people you serve.
Common Types of Animal-Assisted Interventions
The three terms professionals are most likely to see when they enter this field are animal-assisted therapy, animal-assisted education, and animal-assisted activities.
They all fall under the broader category of animal-assisted interventions, but they describe different types of work.
Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT)
Animal-assisted therapy, often shortened to AAT, refers to planned, goal-oriented work that takes place within a professional’s scope of practice.
For example, a mental health counselor may incorporate a therapy animal into work that supports a client’s treatment goals. The animal is part of a structured intervention that is connected to the professional’s existing role and training.
AAAIP describes this type of work as planned, structured, and goal-oriented.
Animal-Assisted Education (AAE)
In animal-assisted education, or AAE, an educator may partner with a therapy animal during an activity designed to support reading, social skills, classroom participation, or another learning goal.
The main difference is the purpose of the intervention. In animal-assisted therapy, the goals are therapeutic. In animal-assisted education, the goals are educational. The professionals role helps determine which term best fits the work.
Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA)
Animal-assisted activities, or AAA, may include therapy animal visits that provide comfort, connection, or positive interaction without being tied to a formal treatment or educational goal.
Volunteer therapy animal visits are one common example.
Volunteer therapy animal teams may visit hospitals, senior living communities, schools, and other locations to share positive interactions with people in the community. These visits would be considered animal-assisted activities.
Each of these approaches—AAT, AAE, and AAA—can play an important role. The terms simply help explain how the work is structured and what the goal of the interaction is.
Why Consistent AAI Terminology Matters
Clear language makes it easier for people to enter the field.
AAAIP notes that many people who are interested in animal-assisted interventions already struggle to know where to start or event what to search for online. When the field uses many different terms for similar work, that challenges becomes even greater.
Consistent terminology can help professionals find the right education and research, understand policies and standards, and explain their work to others. It also supports communication between different professions.
A counselor, teacher, social worker, and occupational therapist may work in very different settings, but shared AAI terminology gives them a common starting point for discussing professional practice.
Established AAI terminology is already build into policies, procedures, certification programs, and educational materials. Keeping that language consistent will help reduce unnecessary confusion as the field continues to grow.
Language Can Also Reflect How We View the Animal
Terminology also matters in the way professionals talk about therapy animals themselves.
AAAIP encourages professionals to think carefully about words that can make an animal sound like a tool or piece of equipment.
For example, instead of saying a professional “uses” a therapy animal, AAAIP encourages phrasing like:
- “partnering with a therapy animal”
- “incorporating a therapy animal”
- “including a therapy animal in an intervention”
This reflects an important principle in animal-assisted interventions. Therapy animals are sentient partners with their own preferences, needs and limits. Their welfare should remain part of every professional decision.
The words professionals choose can help reinforce that responsibility.
What Terminology Means for Your AAI Journey
Learning AAI terminology may seem like a small step, but it can help you make better decisions as you move forward.
Once you understand the difference between animal-assisted interventions, animal-assisted therapy, animal-assisted education and animal-assisted activities, you can start asking more specific questions about your own work.
What am I hoping to accomplish? Does the intervention fit within my professional role? What kind of preparation will my animal and I need? What policies, safety practices and professional standards should guide my work?
Those questions matter because successful AAI requires more than simply bringing an animal into a professional setting.
AAAIP emphasizes the importance of safety, consistency and quality across the field, including training and practices that protect both people and animals.
Clear terminology gives you a foundation for learning more about those responsibilities.
Keep Learning About Animal-Assisted Interventions
Understanding the language of AAI gives you a foundation for the decisions ahead. From choosing an appropriate animal partner to learning professional best practices, evaluation and risk management, each step helps you build a program that supports both the people you serve and your therapy animal.
You do not need to know everything on day one. But it’s important to have a reliable place to keep learning, and AAAIP is here to help guide you every step of the way.
As you continue your journey, that shared vocabulary can help you find the right resources, communicate your goals and build a stronger foundation for responsible practice.
Ready to take your next step in animal-assisted interventions? Explore AAAIP education and resources designed to help you build the knowledge and skills needed to responsibly incorporate therapy animals into their work.
Sources
Green, F. L., Dahlman, M. L., Lomness, A., & Binfet, J. T. (2024). For the love of acronyms: An analysis of terminology and acronyms used in AAI research 2013–2023. Human-Animal Interactions, (2024).