What is Autism and Asperger’s Disorder?

Autism and Asperger’s are two out of the five Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), also called Pervasive Development Disorders (PDDs). All people with PDD’s have problems in social interactions, but Asperger’s Disorder differs from Autism in several areas.

In Autistic Disorders there are significant abnormalities in the areas of social interaction, language, and play, where as in Asperger’s Disorder early cognitive and language skills are not delayed significantly.”

Symptoms of both Autistic and Asperger’s Disorders include

• Qualitative impairment in social interaction
• Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities
• The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
• Organizational difficulties
• Distractibility
• Sequencing Problems
• Inability to generalize
  

How is Equine Assisted Psychotherapy especially suited for this population?

EAP involves setting up activities with horses which require families, individuals or groups to apply certain skills. As noted above in the symptoms/issues, EAP can address non-verbal communication, assertiveness, problem-solving, flexibility, teamwork and relationships (more specifically social skills), confidence, and applying what is learned in session back to the real world.

What kind of EAP is offered at Horse Sense?

We offer Equine Assisted Psychotherapy utilizing the EAGALA model. EAGALA (the Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Learning Association) is an international organization that provides training and certification in this field, as well as establishes standards of practice, ethics, and safety. Learn more about it at EAGALA.org.

What do I do next?

Call 828-683-7304 to determine if Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is right for you!