Horseback Riding Autism

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), also known as autism, is a disorder that affects many children worldwide. Autism is a topic that society is becoming more aware of now than they have in the past. A child with autism is different than a child without it and therapeutic riding is benefitting the lives of children with autism spectrum disorder and helping them expand their knowledge and experience. There have been many studies that show that therapeutic riding can be beneficial to children with autism spectrum disorder and the process of therapeutic riding can affect how helpful it is. Horseback riding is corrective itself, but when used to heal people who are disabled, it can be vastly beneficial for that person. Researchers found that therapeutic …show more content…

As stated in a biography about Temple Grandin, “Temple wanted to be alone. She couldn’t speak, and she appeared to be deaf.” Temple Grandin has autism and while growing up, she had a difficult time with it just as any other person with autism spectrum disorder. “A person with autism is very sensitive to touch, sight, sounds, and smells. They are overwhelmed when their senses are stimulated,” (Temple Grandin 1). Their senses are magnified, so it’s as if they are hearing things twice as loud. They have to scream to communicate because they know no other way to, their communication skills are unbalanced. People with autism have trouble reading other people’s emotions so they don’t respond to sarcasm and other mean comments. A way to help most autistics is physical pressure; most people with autism prefer physical pressure on them because it makes them feel more relaxed and calm. The life of an autistic person can be complex, but there is a way to make the life of an autistic person less …show more content…

Ratliffe and Sanekane wrote that people have been benefiting from therapeutic riding as far back as the second century. Another benefit of therapeutic riding is that it influences multiple systems including sensorimotor (balance, touch, awareness of body position, eye and body movements), cognition, respiration, speech production, and behavioral, and social and psychological domains. Postural constol and strength are improved in a childs daily functional activities too because riding creates a displacement of the rider’s center of gravity, this also increases the riders motor skills. Riding gives kids with autism greater confidence, self-esteem, and their social skills increase. “10/11 kids with autism spectrum disorder received positive changes in their life from therapeutic riding. Some found it not affective in activites of daily living or psychological outcomes,” (Ratliffe and Sanekane 5). The studies have shown majority positive outcomes of therapeutic riding which shows how beneficial it

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