Southern Tier Alternative Therapies (STAT) has combined horseback riding and technology, such as iPads, to help children with autism communicate. The STRIDES pilot program in Binghamton, NY, has enrolled 6 families whose children are predominately non-verbal. While on horseback, the kids’ muscles relax and they may be more able to receive sensory input. They each have an iPad, which displays different images; the child points to the picture of the way he or she feels. Parents say their children are more verbal after the lessons. One mom said of her daughter, “She's very verbal when she gets off the horse. There is more spontaneous language in terms of things she would like. If she would like to watch a show, she'll tell you she'd like to watch a show or what she wants to eat or drink. She also makes a lot more eye contact and is a lot more interactive when she gets off the horse.”