The effect of equine-assisted therapy on visual-motor integration in adolescent autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to examine the effect of equine-assisted therapy (EAT) on visual-motor integration (VMI) in adolescent autism spectrum disorders (ASD). EAT was applied to eleven-year-old boy with ASD. The boy was attending in Cognitive Neuroscience Research unit of Human Development Academic Research, Mahidol University. The EAT sessions took place for twice a week in a period of four weeks. The boy’s assessments were conducted in the baseline, middle, and end of four weeks’ treatment and in a follow-up session one month after. Data at fourth week demonstrated positive changes, with improvements continuing one month after the session’s completion, as measured by Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery VMI). The improvement reported was in visual perception, motor coordination and visual-motor coordination. Interestingly, The EAT is not only be an efficient therapeutic method of improving visual-motor integration, but also promote a positive effect on perceived communication, planning, memory, and reducing self-stimulatory behaviours, all of which may lead to elevate attention in classroom in children with ASD. Therefore, the beneficial of EAT showed the positive effect promising trend and suggest that to be considered as an alternative implement therapeutic for ASD.