The Effect of Therapeutic Riding on Children with Autism – Two Case Studies 2015

Two case studies examined the impact of therapeutic riding on behavior change in two children

with autism. Two children participated in six weekly sessions of therapeutic riding lessons, which were tailored to the specific needs of each child. Communicative and motor behaviors were assessed before and after each session using relevant portions of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS). In addition, direct observations of communicative behaviors were undertaken during each lesson. After six weeks of therapeutic riding, no significant changes were found for the CARS. Both children showed improvement on the VABS with regard to communication and motor skill development. Frequency of clear communications increased in both children across lessons.