Did you know using a horse in conjunction with Occupational Therapy treatment has several benefits?
Essentially, therapy horses are used to facilitate movement and sensory experiences. It can be used with a variety of different diagnoses including individuals with Autism, Aspergers, ADD, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, Sensory Processing difficulties, and many other Neurological and Orthopedic conditions.
The benefits include improved posture, muscle tone, balance, coordination, attention, motor planning, sensory processing, and many times improved speech and language. In addition the child develops a respect for animals and learns to connect emotionally with the horse.
The American Hippotherapy Association states that “hippotherapy is a physical, occupational, and speech therapy treatment strategy that utilizes equine movement as part of an integrated treatment program to achieve functional outcomes.”
Four lucky clients at KidWorks were recently chosen via a lottery to participate in our upcoming horse program. We hope it will be a valuable addition to our services and hope we will have the opportunity to do more in the future. Check back for more updates!
Resources
Latella, D. & Langrod, S. (2008). Hippotherapy: An Effective Approach to Occupational Therapy Intervention. OT Practice, Vol 13(2), 16-20.