Horses and Autism...

Ever have something so amazing happen, that you can't believe your luck? Well, today was such a day.
My son, Wolfe (aged 5) was diagnosed with autism back in April of 2013, and his delays were quite severe at the time. While very bright, he had severe speech apraxia (not talking, just gibberish) and had some sensory and anxiety issues. Once I had the diagnosis, getting him into an early intervention program was imperative and I'm happy to say that now 18 months later, his progress has been nothing short of awesome. He's always been incredibly intelligent and his problem solving skills floor me. He has a confidence in himself (especially this school year), that he didn't have last year. He struggles a bit with core strength, and balance though, and I see that he's getting the hang of jumping, and throwing (while most of you might think I'm mad for wanting my kid to run, jump and yell, it truly is wonderful!). A few weeks ago one of our therapists' suggested I get in touch with a local Doctor, who specializes in cognitive psychology Well, we met with her today and it was so cool. Turns out, she uses horses in her therapy. Thoroughbreds no less. She's a breeder/owner, and races as well. It was all I could do, to focus on us being there for my son, because, well.. HORSES! lol
She has a great philosophy.. "There is no finer MIRROR of our true nature than the HORSE." Horses give honest and immediate feedback. This is important for autistic children, as quite often they struggle with "reading" people. We're quite complicated to them. We often speak in riddles, or use humour and sarcasm. Autistics are often very literal in their thinking. If you say something, they take it as truth. Horses also need you to be completely present, something that helps an autistic child learn how to focus and not think about future anxieties.
Anyway, today we met a beautiful mare, named A Hit Indeed and her beautiful foal by Wilko. We'll be working with both of them, and we're very excited! I share, because if anyone can appreciate this, it's all of you! I'm sure lots of pics will be coming soon.
My son, Wolfe (aged 5) was diagnosed with autism back in April of 2013, and his delays were quite severe at the time. While very bright, he had severe speech apraxia (not talking, just gibberish) and had some sensory and anxiety issues. Once I had the diagnosis, getting him into an early intervention program was imperative and I'm happy to say that now 18 months later, his progress has been nothing short of awesome. He's always been incredibly intelligent and his problem solving skills floor me. He has a confidence in himself (especially this school year), that he didn't have last year. He struggles a bit with core strength, and balance though, and I see that he's getting the hang of jumping, and throwing (while most of you might think I'm mad for wanting my kid to run, jump and yell, it truly is wonderful!). A few weeks ago one of our therapists' suggested I get in touch with a local Doctor, who specializes in cognitive psychology Well, we met with her today and it was so cool. Turns out, she uses horses in her therapy. Thoroughbreds no less. She's a breeder/owner, and races as well. It was all I could do, to focus on us being there for my son, because, well.. HORSES! lol
She has a great philosophy.. "There is no finer MIRROR of our true nature than the HORSE." Horses give honest and immediate feedback. This is important for autistic children, as quite often they struggle with "reading" people. We're quite complicated to them. We often speak in riddles, or use humour and sarcasm. Autistics are often very literal in their thinking. If you say something, they take it as truth. Horses also need you to be completely present, something that helps an autistic child learn how to focus and not think about future anxieties.
Anyway, today we met a beautiful mare, named A Hit Indeed and her beautiful foal by Wilko. We'll be working with both of them, and we're very excited! I share, because if anyone can appreciate this, it's all of you! I'm sure lots of pics will be coming soon.

Comments
http://www.equinenow.com/horse-ad-502491
I saw a wonderful video recently showing a boy with something called William's Syndrome, which I'm not familiar with, but it was awesome seeing this little guy interacting with this beautiful horse. If I can find it again, I'll post it. It was beautiful.
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https://www.facebook.com/OperationHorseRescue/info
About
Rescue, rehabilitation, therapeutic horsemanship ( www.meaola.com) Federal tax-exempt status pending
Mission
We are finding and/or providing homes for rescued horses. Our goal and focus is to use them with individuals that have special needs, foster children, at risk youth, and individuals recovering from addictions. Each horse has a job and purpose even if they can no longer be ridden. We have several special needs horses and seniors that give so much love and are still useful for therapy.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2767861/Watch-moment-horse-bonds-young-boy-genetic-disorder.html
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Today, our logo says it all! We have done therapy on small scale, thus far...but, today, we are really living the dream. The horses are doing their work with 11 women in the Army from Fort Irwin. This is the first of three sessions. Our live ranch cams will be off today, as to respect everyone's privacy. Thanks for understanding and thanks for supporting M.O.P. This is a service we provide for free.
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Here's the logo for the post above. Tinypics wouldn't let me post in the same window.
I wish I could find a place nearby that does therapy for older folks. They say riding a horse is good for people with hip problems and helps also with balance. I wouldn't want to go to just a riding stable, I don't think, because the horses would have to be very trustworthy and gentle for old folks, as falling off could be very serious for someone with old and brittle bones.
We are the nerds of the world. We keep the world moving forward. Yeay for us. I was tutoring a kid last year with diagnosed Asperger's syndrome, and I finally confessed to him that I had it too, but I hadn't mentioned it before because I didn't want to sound like I was bragging. It's all in the attitude.
I bet swimming would help with the learning disabilities, too. You don't have to compete, just do it for fun. The patterning of left arm, right leg; right arm, left leg is good for humans. I guess we don't have the opportunity that 4-legged creatures do when they trot. As a baby, did you crawl? I never did, and neither did my son. We didn't get that patterning.
Fascinating topic. Better quit now before I monopolize the whole discussion. lol
I applaud you for your honesty and glad you found comfort in this forum...this is a great family to share with.