News summaries for autism therapy: hippotherapy

definition of hippotherapy: Therapy that involves individuals interacting with and riding on horses. Hippotherapy is done with a licensed physical or occupational therapist and has specific physical goals for each session and is physical or occupational therapy using the horse as the therapy tool. Hippotherapy may be beneficial to people with a variety of special needs, including children with autism.
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Sisters Start Ride-On-Ranch to Provide Hippotherapy to Kids with Special Needs, Summarized Apr 19, 2013

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.”

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Animal-Assisted Therapies May Help Kids with Autism, Summarized Jul 18, 2012

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.

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Speech and Language Pathologist Combines Love of Horses and Children, Summarized Sep 12, 2011

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.... Read more...

Strengthening Gait is a Hippotherapy Program Helping Children with Autism and Other Disabilities, Summarized Oct 4, 2010

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.... Read more...

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Synonyms for hippotherapy include: hippo therapy
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