Forums

There are several animals that help human people to give up problems because their sensibility. Nobody knows exactly how dolphins helped Nikki to speak but something special occurred between Nikki and dolphins... I have no theory about this...perhaps visual communication? A sound communication?
I really think that animals can help people...I don’t think that this is a media invention... There are a lot of animals used to help humans...why not in this mental situations?
In Spain, some dogs are used with Schizophrenic people, for example. Or with people with depression...or persons addicted to drugs... Horses are also used to help people.
You have to have imagination to raise £10,500...I think that you have to contact with social associations, your family and neighborhood, at the school, radios and media options...I think that in these situations, you have to do everything.

I have found a web in Internet where the Dolphin Communication Project association explains a lot of things about this kind of communication.
You can find an explanation about what “language” means and then, they try to explain the possible “language” communication between dolphins and humans.
This interesting explanation has the next argument (and it is a copy-paste text):
"dolphins have evolved a set of behaviors that allow them to communicate. Like humans, they use a variety of kinds of physical contact for communication, for example: a gentle nuzzle of the rostrum , a playful bite to the dorsal fin, an aggressive bite to the flank, a soft petting of the melon using the pectoral fin, a smack to the head with a fluke,…
They also use visual signals (sort of like human gestures) to convey information. For example, the following signals can convey frustration, threat, or anger: a vigorous bobbing of the head, a wide open gaping mouth, an S-shaped swimming position, flared-out pectoral fins, bubble bursts and bubble clouds,…"
I think that it is a clear explanation to understand the dolphin communication…isn’t it?
Perhaps Nikki could grasp or perceive that kind of communication…It is said that some disabled has different feelings, other sensitivities…
About the military use of dolphins, it is known that the Soviet Navy and the US Navy have been trained dolphins to rescue lost naval swimmers or to locate underwater mines, for example.
I don’t know any famous dolphin…well, only the “actor”, Flipper…but I don’t know if it is a good answer…But in history….I don’t know anyone…And I haven’t found anyone via Internet…

Through Internet I could find the following interesting facts:
• Several studies have demonstrated that dolphins can understand a structured language like ours. Unlike humans, dolphins lack of vocal cords, but they do use a complicated system of whistles, squeaks, moans, trills and clicks produced by sphincter muscles within the blow hole. They have produced sound frequencies from 0,24 to 200 kHz, using the higher frequencies for echolocation and the lower ones for communication and orientation.

• Doctor David Nathanson investigated if the presence of dolphins acts as reinforcement to help increase learning for children with mental disabilities. Results indicated the children learned two to ten times faster and with greater retention when working with dolphins. According to this doctor, benefits included increased evidence of the efficacy of using non-human species to increase attention, elicit speech, and increase memory for people with disabilities. Then, he compared the effectiveness of in-water work without dolphins to in-water work with dolphins and there were significant improvements in responses when interaction with dolphins was used as reinforcement.

• The United States and Russian militaries have trained and employed oceanic dolphins in order to rescue lost naval swimmers, to locate underwater mines and design of new submarines and new underwater weapons.

• I don’t know what dolphins have found a place in history, but in general, they have been fascinating people for thousands of years. We are charmed by their beauty and grace, and drawn by an elusive sense of their intelligence. So, all in all, they have found their way into our history, art, mythology and literature.

• You can find more information in http://www.dolphins.org.

I think I was looking for dolphing information in the same web sites as you.
There is no doubt that these mammals are capable of comunicating to each othe by different kind of sounds and ultrasounds, some of them are perceptives for humans and others not. This language helps them to mark out hierarchies and develop their social life.
But this skill did`nt pass inadvertent to humans, who tried to profit by every animals´s habilities. I read a piece about the Serenety Program designed to introduce special-needs children and their families to wild dolphins as a motivating and bonding experience. This isn´t a cure, but there is no douth that children improve their habilities and get a relaxing leved needed to aply other therapies.
These mammal are used to military proyects also, most of them are secret military programs. Russian and american army have used them in rescue missions, but it´s suspected than some of these animals have been tried to kill to use them like other kind of weapons.
I didn´t find any dolphin`s historic name and this makes me to think that these intelligent and usefull animals, in spite of having helped us a lot, did´t get the deserved place in our history.