Pointing the Way

Hippotherapy is a great treatment tool used to teach children how to point. I began working with a new six year old client this weak who has autism. He knows how to point but seems to not want to bother doing it. He is quickly learning that I stop the horse movement when he ignores my directions and that he gets rewarded with trots when he communicates. I stopped the horse in a position so that he had a choice of pointing to go up a hill (which he likes) or into a fence and I modelled pointing up the hill. He is able to clearly indicate what he wants by lifting his arm up high and pointing. At other times he tried to get away with a tiny index finger point while holding onto the handle. This was only his second lesson, so I think he will learn that if he wants the horse to move, I want a really clear cut arm in the air point. We will work on both pointing to go places and pointing to choose and remove pictures from a velcro board.

These same principles of demanding that the child work to the best of his ability is beautifully elaborated in the book The Verbal Behavior Approach. Mary Barbera explains that once the child demonstrates the ability to articulate words, we should never settle for sloppy approximations. I also strive to have the child increase the volume so that the horse can hear "go" and other directions.

Reaching Out of Base of Support ROOBOS

I worked with a 2 year old today who just loved my squeaky ball. I can't show his face because I didn't have permission, but you can just imagine how much fun he was having reaching to touch the ball and hearing the squeak. this is a great way to have fun, working on reach, balance, following directions and postural control and he even signed to keep going more.....

Hippotherapy diver

I like this "diving" move that promotes biilateral integration and postural control.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHmP2YMKPSQ

Sword Activity to Develop Visual Motor Skills and Bilateral Coordination during Hippotherapy

I bought this sword at the dollar store. They are sold in different lengths so you can purchase and adapt according to the child's needs. I cut rectangular pieces that fit over the sword tip so that it can be used like a ring stack. I try to have the children orient the shapes to fit easily over the sword with the longer sides matching, although as you will see in this video they mananged to get some shapes on even when not correctly positioned. (this can be fixed by having shapes with smaller openings....but then it would require greater motor control)

I placed the shapes inside the pocket that I sewed on top a towel so that they have to pull them out. First I introduce this activity with the towel in front of them, then to make it more challenging I place the towel behind the child so that he or she needs to reach behind to pull the shapes out of the pocket. Swords are fun toys since kids are familiar with them from watching movies and they seem to motivate more than the usual ring stack does-and they get to practice using both hands together.

Horses Like Vibration too!

I use a lot of vibrating toys with my hippotherapy kids, especially the kids on the autism spectrum who seem to find vibration relaxing. The sound attracts their attention, helping them to focus and the input makes ordinary activities more exciting. Here is a video of Maria Hurley, my hipoptherapy partner giving her horse some vibration in preparation for hippotherapy work.

I use the Princess Wand which vibrates as a ring stack. 

Jumping Cow

I really appreciate having access to horses after seeing this cow!