When a horse's movement is transferred to a patient through hippotherapy, it produces a combination of sensory, motor and neurological input that we use to treat a wide variety of diagnoses. Horses create a dynamic, three-dimensional movement that cannot be reproduced in a traditional clinic setting. The gait, or stride of the horse, coupled with the animal's warmth, provide numerous benefits.
To learn more, visit our "Why Use Horses in Therapy" page.
The specially trained physical therapists and occupational therapists at Children's TherAplay use hippotherapy to benefit autistic children in numerous ways.
Children with autism typically experience deficits in language, sensory processing and reading social cues. Individuals with high functioning autism, or Asperger's Syndrome, are often very bright and have normal speech development; but may struggle with social skills and sensory issues.
For more information, click here to email us.
Find out about the exciting gains Jonah has made in awareness, interaction with others, touch, following instructions, food tolerance and feeding, and more through occupational therapy treatment at Children's TherAplay.
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"The progress Cole has made is beyond anything we could have imagined. It is heartwarming to know your child is loved by everyone here."
Cole's family
"We feel very blessed to have become a part of the Children's TherAplay family of therapists, staff and other families."
Suzanne, Children's TherAplay mom
"Brendan squeals and claps when we pull into the entrance at Children's TherAplay. He's made so many gains since he started. The horse is amazing."
Brendan's mom