If your daughter has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), she may encounter a variety of challenges. As a parent, you just want to know the best ways to help her. Learning about your daughter’s condition and her needs will help you make the best decisions for her care. Sometimes those with ASD struggle to open up successfully in typical talk therapy. This is why alternative options, such as equine therapy, may give your daughter the best results. Here at Clearview, we believe in the effectiveness of equine therapy in the treatment of such disorders as depression, anxiety, and ASD. Understanding ASD and equine therapy will help ensure you make the best decisions for your daughter.
ASD can affect each child differently. If your daughter struggles with social interaction, equine therapy can help her open up in an environment that is neutral and safe. Equine therapy also may encourage physical activity and a daily routine. Having a reassuring physical routine may help her open up emotionally in therapy. Understanding more about your daughter’s ASD as well as what therapies are available to her will ensure a long-term recovery.
What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines ASD as “a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave.” While ASD can be diagnosed at any age, symptoms often show up during childhood development. ASD may change the way your daughter communicates with her peers and give her an alternative learning style. People with ASD may have difficulty understanding social situations and may react to stimuli differently than others. Learning about your daughter’s autism will allow you to better understand how she operates in this world.
Researching and reading about ASD will help you to advocate for the best solutions and care for your daughter. The symptoms of ASD may vary from person to person. They often include difficulty with social situations and eye contact, as well as experiencing overstimulation. Some people with ASD may hyper-fixate on a special interest, talking at length about it without checking to see if others are interested. Regardless of her symptoms, finding a treatment that works with your daughter’s symptoms, not against them, is important for her long-term recovery.
Some people with ASD may require different forms of treatment. ASD may make it difficult for your daughter to disclose things about herself in talk therapy or discuss what is wrong. Having ASD may also make her avoidant and prefer not to engage in therapy at all. Alternative therapies, such as equine therapy, may offer her a different way to approach mental health care.
What Is Equine Therapy?
Equine therapy is a form of animal-assisted therapy (AAT), which encourages connection and utilization of horses through therapeutic means. With equine therapy, girls are taught to engage with the horses with the help of an equine therapist. This provider is trained to teach girls about the animal and its care. Providers aim to create a safe space for girls to express themselves and learn.
Girls may engage in routines such as grooming and caring for the animals. This will help them practice patience and connection. Students at Clearview may also engage in riding and physical activities that include the animals, which provide a healthy outlet to work through tough emotions.
Clearview believes in the effectiveness of equine therapy as well as the importance of nature and connection to animals. At our facility, we offer access to beautiful scenery and the great Montana wilderness. Equine therapy will allow your daughter to make connections and work through her struggles while working alongside gentle animals.
Effectiveness of Equine Therapy for ASD Treatment
Equine therapy is effective in its treatment of ASD due to the nature of this animal connection. This therapy encourages a deeper connection between a person and an animal. This gives someone with ASD a safe place to work through difficult experiences.
If your daughter struggles with social connections and opening up, working alongside horses can help. Spending time with animals encourages mindfulness, which will help your daughter work toward managing her thoughts and anxieties. Equine therapy also enforces routines for the animals that the girls participate in. This is comforting and empowering. These routines may be beneficial to someone with ASD. In learning to care for the animal, girls learn to care for themselves. Equine therapy also encourages social participation and working alongside peers and therapists to care for the animal. This may open pathways that are difficult for someone with ASD.
Equine therapy will allow your daughter to begin to heal and blossom. Like all interventions, equine therapy aims to provide a pathway to long-term recovery. As your daughter engages in this therapy, she will have coping skills to care for herself once she leaves us.
If your daughter is struggling with ASD, finding the best treatment for her will ensure long-term recovery. Sometimes people with ASD struggle in stereotypical treatment environments, such as those that require typical talk therapy. If your daughter struggles with talk therapy, alternative treatments like equine therapy can make a difference in her care. Working alongside animals and horses within equine therapy will create an environment that encourages healing and connection. Animals provide people with a safe way to work through their emotions while enjoying the anti-stress benefits of animal connection. If you want to learn more about the benefits of equine therapy in the treatment of your daughter’s ASD, Clearview can help. Contact us at 866-584-4788.
