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Equine-Assisted Therapy Paper

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Equine-assisted therapy. The use of equine-assisted therapy has been proposed as a method for facilitating positive sensory experiences for children with autism. A doctoral dissertation by Stickney (2010) finds that “the consistent, rhythmic movement of the horse as well as its warmth, appearance, smell, and furry coat sends an array of sensory signals to the central nervous system, affecting motor, visual, proprioceptive, tactile, and vestibular systems that are necessary for development of motor control” (p. 33). Preliminary research studies indicate that the experience of riding a horse can improve motor function, posture, balance, and reaction time. This can encourage positive sensory experiences, which causes the brain to release chemicals …show more content…

Animal-assisted interventions can also be integrated into existing models of treatment for ASD by using animals for components that traditionally target sensory and affective arousal (Berry et al., 2013). The Denver Model is a therapy technique used by occupational therapists that integrates applied behavioral analysis with treatments to target developmental and relationship deficits, which also includes interventions to treat sensory issues. They suggest that therapy dogs are suitable for integration in this model because they provide a multisensory stimulus that incorporates an emotional bond and a sensory experience. The authors also recognize that because of the variances in symptoms of children diagnosed with ASD, highly individualized treatment programs must be created to accommodate multiple levels of sensory sensitivity. More research is needed to determine how children with different levels of sensory sensitivity respond to different animal therapies, potentially though using a comparative study. Perhaps children who are hypersensitive would respond better to an intervention with a dog, rather than a horse. Overall, available research indicates that therapy dogs are also a potential method for providing sensory experiences for children with

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