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Horses Provide Therapy For Autistic Children

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Jul 10, 2008 10:04 pm US/Mountain

Horses Provide Therapy For Autistic Children

Children's Hospital Study Looks Into The Benefits

Reporting
Mike Hooker

LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Brendan Jackson is one of the study's subjects.
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Children's Hospital is working on a new study to better understand exactly how horseback riding can help autistic children.

For such children, horses have long helped in the teaching of crucial skills that may not come naturally, such as reading other people's emotions.

In 10 horseback sessions at the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center in Longmont, the study is looking at changes in the children's irritability, their self-care and their ability to plan physical actions.

"A lot of times kids with autism have a hard time with motor sequencing: 'I first do this step then this step,' and planning that," said Robin Gabriels, Psy.D., with Children's.

Gabriels said the study is one of the first ever to quantify the effects of horse therapy on autism.

A group of the children had a session at the riding center on Thursday, and Gabriels was there helping the children to put order into their actions.

"The horses provide an opportunity for these kids to learn the cause and effect ... 'If I do something this will affect somebody else's behavior' ... and that's often very difficult for these kids to understand."

Brendan Jackson, 8, is one of the children in the study. His grandmother Jacquie Moldenhauer said bedtime often has been a difficult time for him to maintain order.

She said she thinks things have improved for Jackson since he started working with the horses.

"(At bedtime) it didn't take him nearly as long to do everything in sequence and get everything done: brush his teeth, use the mouthwash, put on his pajamas," Moldenhauer said.

Right now 16 children who are between the ages of 6 and 17 are in the Children's Hospital study.

The researchers are hoping to double that number and are looking for more participants.

Additional Resources

If you are interested in the study, please contact Laurie Burnside at Children's Hospital at (720) 777-4655.

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