Abstract

Introduction. Autism is considered to be a developmental disorder, probably determined by biological causes, and manifesting itself in various aspects of a child’s functioning.

Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of 1-year hippotherapy on the physical and mental functioning in autistic children in selected aspects.

Material and methods. The study involved parents and their autistic children aged 5 to 7 years who had undergone hippotherapy in the previous 2 years. A modified version of the PEP-R, accompanied by a questionnaire prepared by the authors to analyse the demographic and social aspects as well as the course of the disorder, was used to assess the influence of 1-year pedagogical and educational efforts on various areas of development in the autistic children. A statistical analysis was conducted with Student’s t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The statistical significance level was set at p < 0.05.

Results. The 1-year therapeutic process using hippotherapy resulted in an improvement in motor skills and emotional responses in the autistic children. A high level of motor skills in children with autism has beneficial effects on their emotional state. Children with a milder form of autism show a higher level of physical and mental functioning than children with moderate and severe autism.

Conclusions. Hippotherapy constitutes a part of therapy used in patients with autism.

Key words:

autism, treatment, hippotherapy