Horse Boy is a movie about a family with an autistic son-they travel to Mongolia to have
shamanic healings. The scenery is beautiful, stunning. The movie isn’t always easy to watch, but the best for me was seeing the young boy atop a sweet mare, Betsy-the kid totally changes-horses are a big part of the film. The family has started an equine assisted therapy type ranch for kids with autism. Anyone else seen it?
I read the book as well. Agree it was a little out there. Also agree there is no limit on the effect animals can have on humans, disabled or not. And that a parent will go to extremes to heal a child.
We have to remember that people in the autism spectrum have problems brought on by the way the brain, that normally develops and integrates as kids, hits glitches.
Those glitches are classified as developmental disorders, they happen at different stages of the development of kid’s brains.
As a side note, that is one reason some used to think vaccines were causing those problems, because we give many vaccines at the same time some of those developmental problems tend to show up.
Many studies now have shown that the same percentage of kids not given vaccines at those same times still have those developmental disorders, so that was a basically blind alley in that research.
I think that the gains in function they saw in their kid were because his brain was integrating at that time and it would have done the same no matter what.
Granted, extra attention and therapies are very helpful to advance those processes as best as the disabling factors permit, that is why early diagnosis and intervention are so critical.
With what we know today, little as it is, we can help those kids so much more than we ever could.
I have not read the book or seen the movie, just seen some trailers for it and read about it, so can’t say exactly what goes on there.
I think that the idea was a great one, helped the whole family and the affected kid grow and adjust some more.
Horses are very good for some kids with those problems, others not so much, as they have problems with impulse control and empathy, that makes them seem at times a little bit rude to animals.
Some times, we end up having to protect the animal from the kid.
I have seen both with those kinds of disorders.
I am glad all went well for that family and that telling their story will help so many others.
[QUOTE=Bluey;4467755]
Horses are very good for some kids with those problems, others not so much, as they have problems with impulse control and empathy, that makes them seem at times a little bit rude to animals.
Some times, we end up having to protect the animal from the kid.
I have seen both with those kinds of disorders.
I am glad all went well for that family and that telling their story will help so many others.:)[/QUOTE]
impulse control is a fine line to deal with…I have worked with kids who have made extraordinary gains, others…not so much. Empathy is one area that I almost always see improvement in. My DD never showed empathy until about 3 years ago. When she became active in volunteering with the horses and the children. I firmly believe that was the connection for her. Now she is mush ball :sadsmile:
I have not read the book or watched the movie. I do know that I am swamped by phone calls from parents who expect we are going to do exactly what they do. Some seem offended that we aren’t more free and easy about the whole thing, others seem relieved.
I do really need to read it. I will admit I kind of chuckle when parents ask me if I do this “new” “groundbreaking” and…“Experimental” therapy. When I tell them NARHA has been advocating EET for 30 years they act a little shocked! :lol:
Read the book, but couldn’t help but notice that the boy is not wearing a helmet in any of the photos…
[QUOTE=southhillstables;4472188]
Read the book, but couldn’t help but notice that the boy is not wearing a helmet in any of the photos…:-([/QUOTE]
Severe sensory issues maybe kept him from wearing one?
I don’t know the story, so maybe that, which is a common co-morbidity with some autism patients, kept them from getting him to wear a helmet.
Agreed, I am on the autistic spectrum and there is only one helmet on the market that I can wear, other ones cause unbearable problems when wearing.
Sounds like an interesting film, I shall check it out
Read the book. Is the movie out on DVD?
My impression was that the helmet was more a philosophical difference than sensory issue.
As an aside, and I had never thought about it until now, but when I taught kids on the autism spectrum, I didn’t have any that had a problem with the helmet.
We start with helmets before they meet the horses, especially with children with sensory issues. It helps when they have their first mounted session if they have put on and taken off the helmet a few times and know what to expect. Most of the kids are so excited to ride they will forget about the helmet after 10 minutes or so, just gotta keep 'em moving and happy 
