Equine-Assisted Therapy Paper

There is evidence provided within this proposal that includes sensory integration being an important contributor to ASD children sensory stimulus to self regulate and improve the children’s acting out behaviors, like aggression

For a number of children with autism having a companion dog is the difference between life and death. Methodically trained guide dogs help create an environment where autistic children are comfortable enough to live a more ordinary lifestyle. Autism spectrum disorder is a major public health problem that is the most common neurological disorder affecting 1 out of every 110 births in the US (Autism Society, 2009). ASDs can range in severity from Asperger Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism where the child can function relatively well in society, to autistic disorder or classical ASD, which severely inhibits the child’s ability to socialize or communicate (NINDS). Autism manifests itself most strikingly as impairments in formation of

The term autism currently holds a meaning that is significantly different than when it was first adopted into our vocabulary in the 1960’s. The evolution of scientific discoveries within the field of autism research is remarkable and consistently improving. With the prevalence of autism continuing to reach sky rocketing numbers, the inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the school system is extremely important. Every child has the right to obtain an education and finding new methods that provide this for children with ASD is vital. Creating programs and techniques that can be personalized to a child is the key to them receiving the most out of their education. Discrete trial teaching, pivotal response treatment and picture

Though there was not a specific hypothesis, it can be concluded that a general hypothesis for the study was if children that have ASD have a service dog, will they have behavior benefits, which is considered to be true. This journal withholding an impact factor of 4.704 is deemed as very informational. Because this study didn’t hurt or deceive anyone, it is deemed as ethical. The data collected within this study can be beneficial to those who have children with ASD; they can simply learn how to make their child’s life easier and less complicated by providing them with a service

Furthermore, research is demonstrating the promise that equine therapy holds for children with intellectual disabilities. When compared to traditional intervention methods, equine therapy is a bit more cost-effective, meaning more families can afford equine therapy. With this in mind, it shows promise of becoming a standard form of early intervention for individuals with disabilities (Holmes et. al. 120). As the child ages, research is showing more and more support for equine therapy. It was mentioned previously how equine therapy can help a child in the classroom. Research shows that equine therapy can help a child in nearly every aspect of his or her life. Equine therapy proved in one study that it helps children with intellectual disabilities with their balance, thanks to the stimulating movements of the horse (Biery et. al. 1). Motor skills have improved after just a few sessions in equine therapy, whether it be riding or hippotherapy (Snider et. al. 1). In addition, researchers have found that social skills have improved with equine therapy (Bass, Dunchowny & llabre 1266). The reason for the improvement in social skills is because in therapeutic riding lessons, children are given the chance to interact with other individuals who are similar to them. This creates a bond between the students. Individuals in hippotherapy gain social skills because of the interactions they have with a therapist, and the bonds formed with the horse. All of these researchers have

My rationale for studying the working conditions of therapy horses, who work at Heal With Horses located at Wellington Ontario is that, working animals are not typically seen as traditional workers in society. They can be oppressed and are easily taken advantage of, as they can not verbally stand up for themselves, but do so in many other ways. Thus saying, it is our job as society and empathic, intellectual, human beings to ensure we represent, understand and stand up for the working rights and voices of all workers, whether they have 2 legs or four. I believe it is our ethical responsibility as human workers to make sure we give equal working conditions to all diverse types of work and workers; including service horses/animals because we humans do reap the benefits of their labour. It is the right thing to do to make sure therapy horses are treated fairly. From working at a non for profit

There is a big number of special needs population in the US that don’t get much help with therapy or can’t find any therapy that works. A new therapy that works to help these people is equine therapy. Equine therapy helps the special needs population by helping the special needs, the horses, and the money that goes to equine therapy. Equine therapy has been around since 1946 and was introduced as horseback riding from the Ancient Greek (“What is Equestrian therapy?”). Equine therapy “has become a recreation and a motivational activity for the disabled while at the same time a therapy for them” (“What is Equestrian therapy?”).

Equine-assisted interventions. A study by Jenkins and Reed (2013) examined the ways that participating in equine-assisted interventions impacted children with autism’s social behavior in multiple contexts. They observed children (N=7) who were participating in a therapeutic horseback riding program both at the center and at home to find if this intervention altered the children’s social behaviors. The results did not indicate that these interventions produced significant changes in children’s affect, off-task behavior, problem behavior, compliance, or language in program or home observations. However, numerous parents verbally reported that there were changes in their child’s language abilities at home and school. This indicates that parental

Chloe Marie Winslade (DoB 26.11.2000) asked to focus on developing her trust skills with people she interacts with. Chloe made a connection with a horse from the beginning of this week and this relationship and connection developed throughout the week. Chloe discussed from the first day, her concern with the age range within this group and it was evident this was an issue for her.

Riding horses can help build strength in the body, but it can also be used as therapy. A few years ago, Haleigh volunteered at a therapeutic horseback riding business in Clinton, Iowa, called Bright Spot Inc. At Bright Spot, Haleigh and other volunteers, work with many children with different disabilities and help them overcome their problems. Their confidence is built when they ride the horses because they feel like they can do anything. Therapeutic horseback riding has been proven to really help out people with disabilities. Horseback riding can help disabled patients better than any other form of physical therapy. The physical benefits that can be improved form therapeutic horse riding is improved circulation, respiration, balance, body metabolism, and it can help the disabled rider gain agility and strength. Horse riding can also help with the movement of the riders legs and increase coordination in their muscle groups. In one study of therapeutic horseback riding, children with disabilities improve their posture, muscle tone, and weight-bearing abilities (Bliss). After trying therapeutic horseback riding, many patients become more outgoing. Beth Bliss once said that, “Studies show that autistic children often

Autism - Children with ASD can suffer from a difficulty focusing, communicating well with others, and responding to sensory stimuli. Results from studies done on children with ASD have shown that after exposure to AAT there were positive effects on social interaction. According to the study, when a dog was introduced to children with ASD they displayed a reduction of stress, anxiety, and irritability around others, because the animals promoted a more relaxed environment for the children (Siewertsen).

More research is needed to find if animal-assisted interventions offer substantial and reliable improvements in symptoms in children with ASD. If family has extra resources and finds that these interventions might be beneficial for their child’s symptoms, this has not yet been found to be harmful. However, it might be advisable that social skills interventions are integrated into a child’s therapy before the use of an animal to aid in these interactions is selected. It seems that animal-assisted interventions are promising for improving safety and targeting atypical sensory responsiveness. If a child with autism’s safety cannot be managed in other ways and the family is experiencing substantial burden, a service dog might be a beneficial

The Helsinki Olympics, 1952. Liz Hartel won a silver medal in equestrian sports and told the world how riding had helped her recover from polio ("History"). Therapeutic riding is a term that has been used to encompass the variety of equine activities for individuals with disabilities, but the correct terminology for utilizing the movement of the horse as a treatment strategy to improve neuromuscular function is "hippotherapy," meaning "treatment with the help of the horse" from the Greek word, "hippos", meaning horse ("Hippotherapy"). Equine-assisted therapy is a positive and successful form of therapy for individuals with disabilities because it boosts confidence and allows for improvement in physical and occupational capabilities. Studies show that hippotherapy has proven to be beneficial for individuals with a variety of disabilities.

As of 2012, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in 50 children between the ages of six and seventeen has autism spectrum disorder, with males being four times more likely than females to have these conditions (Slaughter 1). Autism is a developmental disorder that affects the brains normal development of social and communication skills. Service dogs are normally used to aid the blind, deaf or hard of hearing, and other types of disabilities. Service dogs have recently been used to help children with autism. The service dog industry has had a growing impact on the autism community, the benefits and disadvantages affect each child differently.

This claim is further elaborated upon in the article by Martin and Farnum (2002) that suggest how AAT can be helpful in promoting social and communication skills. These authors present study is presented that evaluated the effects of interacting with therapy dogs on children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). While interacting with a therapist, the children were exposed to three different conditions: 1) a nonsocial toy (ball), 2) a stuffed dog, and 3) a live therapy dog. “Pro”-social and nonsocial behaviors and interactions were evaluated in both behavioral and verbal elements. The results showed that the children exhibited a more playful disposition, paid better attention, and were more aware of their social environments when the therapy dog was in the room with the therapist. The results of this study shows that AAT may be beneficial for children with PDD because the therapy dog is acting as transitional objects. As transitional objects, children establish primary bonds with the animals an these bonds can then be transferred to humans. Because children with PDD have difficulties forming such bonds, AAT may be a good fit for this population.