SILOAM SPRINGS - Horse therapy for disabled children has been around for years, but a program in Benton County is trying a new slant to help children with autism learn social skills.
The approach at Equestrian Bridges at Twin Bridges Inc .,a 120-acre ranch near Siloam Springs, isn't traditional horse riding, or hippotherapy, as it is known. Equestrian Bridges teaches autistic children to improve communication through simple games and tasks with horses.
Communicating and "fitting in" is a challenge for people with autism. Some hardly talkand have odd mannerisms, such as hand-flapping and twirling objects. Social cues are hard to grasp. They might laugh when someone is crying, or not understand the sarcasm intended when someone rolls his eyes.
The idea at Equestrian Bridges is that horses' reactions to humans are so open and ex-aggerated that children clearly understand what impact their voice, demeanor and actions are having.
The children see how the horse reacts when they grimace, talk in a soothing tone or get too close to the horse, and they can adjust their behavior accordingly, Executive Director Nathan Rudolph said.
"Horses are so physically large, it's easy for children to read their body language," Rudolph said. "Through games and teaching the horses commands, they catch on to what's appropriate and can transfer those skills over into real life."
At a recent social-skills session, Michelle Baltrusch, the program's education director, showed two autistic girls how to gain the horses' trust and play a simple game of moving the animals near and away.
Jenny Thompson, 13, of Rogers played the "friendly game" with a horse named Custer, moving her hands gently over his smooth brown-and-white coat. He blew warm air into her face, which drew a toothy smile and a laugh from the girl.
Jenny also played the yo-yo game, moving Custer away from her by letting go of a braided rope, then wiggling her index finger.
Baltrusch, also a special-education teacher in the Rogers School District, told Jenny to tell Custer to move away "gently and politely.
"That's how we treat people - gently and politely," Baltrusch said. "We can send people away politely, and it doesn't have to mean forever."
Molly Ivy, 15, of Fayetteville made an instant connection to the horses at Equestrian Bridges, said her mother, Nancy Wells.After the social-skills classes, the mother and daughter go to dinner, and Wells said her daughter is more engaged than usual.
"The class really opens her up," Wells said. "She's talkative, and there's a lot of eye contact. I'm not sure what it is about the horses - they're as sensitive as the children, and they work with each other.
"There's definitely a symbiotic relationship going on there," she said.
Being socially appropriate is a constant effort for Ivy, who also has an older sister with autism. For example, before the family had dinner guests one night, Ivy's speech pathologist had her write out instructions to herself.
"I won't ask people when they are going to leave, I won't try to make them hurry up and go, and I'll have plenty of time to watch TV later," she wrote.
"If there's an intense situation, Molly's reaction is almost opposite of what it should be," Wells said. "But she recognizes this, and she's learned to adapt. She'll say, 'I'm sorry. I know I'm not supposed to act that way.' She's very literal, and she's very aware she has autism."
Wells and parents of seven other autistic children pay $240 for six social-skills therapy sessions at Equestrian Bridges.
The nonprofit program started in February, and operators are considering seeking accreditation with the Equine AssistedGrowth Learning Association and North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Rudolph said.
The program describes its services on its Web site, www.equestrianbridges.com.
The prevalence of autism has risen in recent years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta issued a study last year that determined one in every 150 children in America has the disorder, according to the Autism Society of America.
"The biggest growth in youth camps around the country right now is from the parents of kids with autism," said Marguerite Colston, spokesman for the Autism Society of America. "That gives you an idea of how much attention the disorder is getting right now."
Colston said that when choosing therapy programs for autistic children, parents should rely on the individual education plan created at their child'sschool. Parents should choose programs that are safe and appropriate, and offer a level of care to meet their child's needs, she said.
"A lot of places nowadays say they treat autism, but it's a specific medical and neurological condition that requires specialized training," Colston said. "It's a good idea for parents to ask questions and get guidance from the schools, rather than just accepting what the program says." Horse therapy for autistic children is not new, but it traditionally had focused on improving sensory integration through riding, said Karan Burnette, associate director of Partners for Inclusive Communities, a group that operates the Arkansas Autism Resource and Outreach Center, a division of University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Hippotherapy uses the movement of the child riding the horse to stimulate the child neurologically and physically, Burnette said.
Social-skills groups also are common therapy for children with autism, but they usually involve peers, she said.
"It's a new one on me," Burnette said of Equestrian Bridges' approach of using horses to improve socialization skills. "But animal therapy has a place in helping children with autism, and this sounds like a new avenue to do that."What is autism?
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person's ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees.
Autism is treatable. Signs to look for in children:
Lack of or delay in spoken language
Repetitive use of language, mannerisms or both
Little or no eye contact
Lack of interest in peer relationships
Lack of spontaneous or makebelieve play
Persistent fixation on parts of objects
Source: Autism Society of America
Arkansas, Pages 24, 27 on 05/18/2008