Healing Thresholds Autism Therapy Topic Feed

Responding to hippotherapy

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:55:54 +0000

Where are some good providers for Hippo Therapy in the Columbus, Ohio area ?

Please respond to jim.swank@fcbdd.org Thanks

The Effect of Therapeutic Horseback Riding on Social Functioning in Children with Autism

scottie — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:07:55 +0000

Title	The Effect of Therapeutic Horseback Riding on Social Functioning in Children with Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Bass, MM, Duchowny CA, Llabre MM
Journal Title	Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	39
Issue	9
Pages	1261-1267
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19350376
Teaser	Therapeutic horseback riding may improve social skills in children with autism.
Full Text	Therapeutic horseback riding may improve social skills in children with autism. Children with autism who rode horses as therapy showed improvements in several social skills after 12 weeks of therapy. This study compared before-therapy and after-therapy scores on social skills tests for 19 children (5-10 years old). Children were improved in sensory seeking and sensitivity. They also had more social motivation and were less distracted. The authors said that this is the first study to measure the impact of horseback riding on social skills in children with autism.

Physical Therapist Turns to Hippotherapy for Children with Autism

scottie — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:10:51 +0000

Teaser:

Kim Fotter thought she wanted to be a vet, but early in her studies she discovered hippotherapy.

Body:

Kim Fotter thought she wanted to be a vet, but early in her studies she discovered hippotherapy. Now Winkin Pony in New Hampshire provides Fotter's physical therapy office and her riding ring. Fotter, trained as a pediatric physical therapist, moved into hippotherapy, which uses the movement of a horse to help children with autism and other developmental disorders develop balance, social interaction, and taking responsibility for an animal.

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California Therapeutic Equine Group Has Many Success Stories

scottie — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:22:35 +0000

Teaser:

Mastering Abilities Riding Equines (M.A.R.E.), a California organization in existence since 1990, provides therapeutic horseback riding to 90 clients a week, including those with autism.

Body:

Mastering Abilities Riding Equines (M.A.R.E.), a California organization in existence since 1990, provides therapeutic horseback riding to 90 clients a week, including those with autism. Staffed mainly by volunteers, including high school and college students, M.A.R.E. offers horseback riding programs that include sport riding, equestrian vaulting and hippotherapy. The movement of a horse mimics that of a human, so that when a child with autism or other developmental delay rides a horse, their body is moved in a natural and healthy way.

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Equine Therapist is First to Offer Therapeutic Riding Program in India

scottie — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:25:56 +0000

Teaser:

Pushpa Bhopaiah is the first equine therapist in India to be trained at the Special Equestrian Riding Center in the United States.

Body:

Pushpa Bhopaiah is the first equine therapist in India to be trained at the Special Equestrian Riding Center in the United States. She uses therapeutic horseback riding to help children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Equine therapy helps children with balance, self-esteem, and relationships. Bhopaiah "believes equine-assisted therapy is like physiotherapy where things are allowed to change naturally" While hippotherapy is fairly new to India, it has been recognized by therapists around the world as a good therapeutic intervention.

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Equestrian Bridges Teaches Communication and Social Skills

scottie — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:02:46 +0000

Teaser:

Equestrian Bridges in Arkansas does not provide typical hippotherapy with their horses and children with autism.

Body:

Equestrian Bridges in Arkansas does not provide typical hippotherapy with their horses and children with autism. Equestrian Bridges uses games and tasks to increase communication and social skills. Horses' reactions are larger than life and easy for children with autism to understand. For example, "The children see how the horse reacts when they grimace, talk in a soothing tone or get too close to the horse, and they can adjust their behavior accordingly, Executive Director Nathan Rudolph says." One game is called the "friendly game" in which a child gently pets the horse - his response is to blow soft warm air on the child's face.

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Combining Two Therapies: Art and Horseback Riding

scottie — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:28:02 +0000

Teaser:

An artist in Boulder, Colorado, set up a temporary studio at the stables of Rocky Mountain Riding Therapy (RMRT).

Body:

An artist in Boulder, Colorado, set up a temporary studio at the stables of Rocky Mountain Riding Therapy (RMRT). After their therapeutic horseback riding or hippotherapy, students came to paint their riding experience. Martine Amade shared her love of horses and art to help children with autism increase the confidence they had just gained through their physical activity. Hippotherapy helped the children with balance and relationships, while art therapy increased self-confidence and allowed an additional way of looking at their experience.

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We Can Ride Provides Recreation and Therapy on Horseback

scottie — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:26:50 +0000

Teaser:

We Can Ride, in Minnesota, has provided therapeutic horseback riding for children with autism and other disabilities since 1982.

Body:

We Can Ride, in Minnesota, has provided therapeutic horseback riding for children with autism and other disabilities since 1982. Hippotherapy or equine therapy helps with balance, muscle strength, coordination, and confidence. At We Can Ride, anyone can ride - if a child has limited mobility, a hydrological lift provides a boost up. The motto of the organization is, "Nothing is so good for the inside of a person than the outside of a horse."

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Center for Children Provides Peer Models and Social Skills Training

scottie — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:26:36 +0000

Teaser:

Recently, the Schwartz Center for Children offered 8-week peer modeling and social skills training for children with autism.

Body:

Recently, the Schwartz Center for Children offered 8-week peer modeling and social skills training for children with autism. The Bedford Massachusetts children and their peers learned from each other - the children with autism gained skills in eye contact, simple social interactions, and following directions, while peers learned about children different than themselves. The Schwartz Center also offers a day school, early intervention, hippotherapy, speech and language therapy, self-help and motor skills.

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Hope for Exceptional Needs Trives in Saudi Arabia

scottie — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:59:44 +0000

Teaser:

Hope for Exceptional Needs opened 10 years ago in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Body:

Hope for Exceptional Needs opened 10 years ago in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This multilingual school for children with autism and other developmental disabilities serves children of 14 different nationalities. The center, founded by Uzma Hussein, teaches special education using Scott Foresman materials, behavioral modification, life skills and vocational training. Students receive interventions including hydro therapy, hippotherapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy, OT, and art therapy. One goal is for these children to prove that they are capable and functioning members of Saudi society.

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