Effects of hippotherapy on the motivation and social interaction/social communication for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

• Author / Creator

  Llambias, Cecilia

• Engagement in purposeful activities is essential for development and is
  difficult for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who also have
  impairments of social interaction and communication. In hippotherapy, riding and
  other horse related activities can be used to promote children’s engagement and
  communication skills. A multiple baseline design across eight children ages 4 to 7
  years was used to assess the effects of hippotherapy. Intervention effects were
  strong for 7 children’s engagement and 4 children’s responses to requests
  (responsivity). Limited effects were found for expressive communication. Parent
  and teacher reports pre- and post- intervention indicated positive changes.
  Hippotherapy may be a valuable addition to conventional treatments to increase
  engagement for children with ASD. Factors related to the environment,
  therapeutic strategies, and participants must be considered. The study’s results
  will assist clinicians and parents of children with ASD in making decisions about
  the use of hippotherapy, an alternative therapy approach.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Therapeutic Horseback Riding
  • Social Communication
  • Hippotherapy
  • Engagement
  • Social interactions
  • Motivations
  • ASD
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders

• Graduation date

  Fall 2013

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3FJ29Q28

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.