Healing Thresholds Autism Therapy Topic Feed

Sisters Start Ride-On-Ranch to Provide Hippotherapy to Kids with Special Needs

scottie — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Autumn O’Hara and Charli Wacker founded Ride-On-Ranch to provide equine assisted therapies to kids with autism and other special needs.

Body:

Sisters Autumn O’Hara and Charli Wacker, both horseback riders, founded Ride-On-Ranch to provide equine assisted therapies to kids with autism and other special needs. O’Hara is an occupational therapist and certified therapeutic riding instructor, which enables the center to offer hippotherapy – riding is a therapy tool as opposed to just fun. O’Hara explained, “Equine assisted therapy is an emerging practice area in occupational therapy and the use of the horse has multiple facets that make it an amazing therapeutic tool. For example, the natural movement of the horse mimics human walking.”

Original Article:

Ride-On-Ranch Rides into Lovettsville

Animal-Assisted Therapies May Help Kids with Autism

scottie — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 22:19:17 +0000

Teaser:

This article from the Philippines has detailed descriptions about various forms of animal-assisted therapy for kids with autism.

Body:

This article from the Philippines has detailed descriptions about various forms of animal-assisted therapy for kids with autism. Mona Magno-Veluz, Autism Society Philippines National Board Secretary, started the article off with a brief history of animals in therapy that began in the 1970s. She went on to explain some of the research that had been done, which found that animals could help kids with cognition and social skills. She described various animal therapies, including pet therapy, dolphin-assisted therapy, autism assistance dogs, and hippotherapy.

Original Article:

Animals for Autism

Speech and Language Pathologist Combines Love of Horses and Children

scottie — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:36:19 +0000

Teaser:

Rachel Gerhart, a speech and language pathologist, established PonyTalk Speech Therapy Services combining hippotherapy with speech therapy.

Body:

Rachel Gerhart, a speech and language pathologist, established PonyTalk Speech Therapy Services combining hippotherapy with speech therapy. She explains that she uses typical speech therapy approaches while a child with autism or other special needs is on horseback. She has found that the 12-week program allows children to address their therapy goals while experiencing the movement, and sometimes freedom, of being horseback. Hippotherapy provides increased muscle strength, self-esteem, mobility, and coordination. It seems to help the children to be more responsive to speech therapy. Gerhart states, “Children experience the benefits of therapy without feeling like they are doing any work. As a result, they may be more responsive to treatment in this setting versus a typical clinic or educational setting.”

Original Article:

Birdsboro Woman Uses Horses to Help Children with Speech

Strengthening Gait is a Hippotherapy Program Helping Children with Autism and Other Disabilities

scottie — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:09:50 +0000

Teaser:

Strengthening Gait, in Wyoming, provides hippotherapy for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Body:

Strengthening Gait, in Wyoming, provides hippotherapy for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. It began in June when a couple of moms heard a lecture by Deborah Lapinski, an adult with autism, who said she had always communicated better with animals than with people. The children attend two hippotherapy sessions a week, and along with riding the horses, they learn to groom them and talk to them. The kids are also expected to do therapy in addition to the actual riding. For example, they must warm up themselves and their horses prior to riding, they learn balance and sensory integration skills. One mom says, “I just know what it does for kids. Hippotherapy is an absolutely amazing type of therapy for any kid with special needs, but especially those with posture issues and some sensory integration issues.”

Original Article:

Douglas Program Uses Horses to Help Children

Little Britches Offers Hippotherapy for Children with Autism

scottie — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Little Britches in Litchfield CT offers therapeutic horseback riding to more than 60 kids with autism and other special needs every week.

Body:

Little Britches in Litchfield CT offers therapeutic horseback riding to more than 60 kids with autism and other special needs every week. Little Britches is owned by the Daly family, who with a lot of volunteers, works with the children on riding and brushing the horses. Hippotherapy has been found to help children with social skills, balance, and cognitive skills. The kids feel a sense of responsibility and pride as they ride atop the horse with a volunteer at their side. Little Britches asks for only a small donation from participating families and survives on outside donations and grants.

Original Article:

Horse Therapy in Washington

Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding Provides Hippo Therapy for Kids with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

scottie — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding in Indiana allows children with autism and other developmental disabilities to experience horseback riding.

Body:

Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding in Indiana allows children with autism and other developmental disabilities to experience horseback riding. Hippo therapy utilizes the movement of a horse to help children learn proper balance, posture, and muscle control. Director Lisa Condes has plans for the center to expand, increasing the arena size and adding classrooms for physical and occupational therapy. Morning Dove currently has PT and OT volunteers from St. Vincent Pediatric Rehabilitation Services and a client waiting list for therapy.

Original Article:

Horse Power Propels Therapy at Morning Dove

Teenager with Autism Wrote Book to Help Other Teens

scottie — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

Haley Moss is a teenager with autism, but that did not stop her from writing "Middle School: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About."

Body:

Haley Moss is a teenager with autism, but that did not stop her from writing "Middle School: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About." Moss, who had not shared her high-functioning autism with her classmates, decided to talk about it when her talent as an artist made her more visible. She decided she could be a spokesperson for people with autism; she could inform the community about what it’s like to live on the spectrum. It wasn’t always easy for Haley, she did not speak until she was four and attended speech therapy and hippotherapy to increase her social and communication skills. Her book talks about middle school difficulties as a teen with autism, but also can help other teenagers who might be shy and don’t feel like they fit in.

Original Article:

Teen with Autism Advises Other 'Different' Kids

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.

Original Article:

original article

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.

Original Article:

original article