Researchers have known for some time that horse therapy helps children with autism in many ways when it comes to social interaction and better coordination in physical movement. Now the first scientific study of horse therapy finds its many benefits may have to do with rhythm.
Benefits of horse therapy for autism
A study involving 42 children with autism, six to 16 years old, found that riding and grooming horses significantly bettered behavioral symptoms including social and motor skills.
The study was done by psychologist Robin Gabriels of the University of Colorado Denver with funding by a R01 NIH grant under the National Institute of Nursing Research and was published in the February issue of Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The study involved 42 children with autism, six to 16 years old,and found that riding and grooming horses significantly bettered behavioral symptoms. According to the study children exposed to horses showed more improvement in social skills and motor skills, rated via standard behavioral assessment surveys than children who had participated in non-animal therapy.
Robert Isenhower, a researcher at Rutgers University, who was not involved with the study, asserts that rhythmic coordination issues underlie the symptoms of autism, including repetitive behaviors and difficulty communicating,
Using drumming games, Isenhower found that children with autism struggle more than typically developing children to keep a beat. This impairment affects unconscious social behaviors that most people take for granted, such as pausing after questions or walking in step with others. “I think the horse might serve as a surrogate motor system for individuals with autism,” he says.
.