Horses help with autism

Autism is a disorder in the development of neurogenesis which has an extensive affect on peoples’ lives. People with autism often have a hard time expressing themselves, often it is difficult for them to connect with people and they do not always respond appropriately to different circumstances in their surroundings. It has been suggested that children with autism connect more easily with animals than human beings. Language is a complex phenomenon and is an obstacle in many cases for children with autism to communicate with other children as well as adults.
 
Results from research which has been done on autism has among other things revealed that children with autism react differently, depending on whether they are communicating with people or animals. They show behavior towards animal, one that they seldom or never show human beings. When in close proximity with animals, there is less fear, anxiety, hyperactivity or other inappropriate behavior. The reason for these results is not known but interaction with animals is not based on exchange of words and therefore is easier for the children.  
 
A very exceptional documentary has been made which tells about an autistic boy and his parents, where horses play an important role in his road to recovery. They take a trip on horses in Mongolia in search for help for their son with unconventional treatment.
 
Rowan Isaacson was diagnosed with autism when he was two years old. He did not talk and kept to himself or had fits of anger, for no apparent reason. On the other hand, his father noticed that he felt better when he was in out in the nature.  When Rowan was five years old, the father and son were taking a walk in the woods and he ran away from his father.  The boy ran towards a small herd of horses, crawled under the fence and went towards the horses. His father was an active horseman but had kept the boy from the horses, because he never knew how the boy would react.
 
This was the first time Rowan expressed himself with words. He lay down on his back and the horses came and sniffed him and he spoke to them.
 
From this day on, Rowan was riding horses every day, and he spent a lot of time around horses. The progress he made was so great that his parents decided to take a trip to Mongolia and ride horses there, as they experienced such great changes in his son. They had taken an uncontrollable child with them, one who could not express himself clearly. But on return, they brought back a child that was able to express himself without having fits of anger and was able to communicate with his surroundings as well as people.
 
A book has been written and a movie made both of which is based on this unique story, one which has given inspiration to parents of autistic children worldwide.
 
Sources: www.einhverfa.is
www.horseboyfoundation.org