The effect of hippotherapy on functional outcomes for children with disabilities: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric physical therapy
• Rehabilitation medicine
• Equine-assisted therapy

Background:

• Children with physical disabilities often require specialized interventions to improve functional outcomes.
• Hippotherapy, a form of physical therapy utilizing a horse's movement, is an emerging treatment modality.
• The Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) offers a standardized method for measuring individualized functional progress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of hippotherapy on functional outcomes in children with physical disabilities.
• To assess the utility of the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) in measuring these outcomes.
• To explore the effectiveness of hippotherapy across various pediatric diagnoses.

Main Methods:

• A multiple single-case experimental A-B design was employed over one year.
• Four children aged 5-9 with physical impairments or motor delays participated.
• Individualized goals were established using the GAS, with data collected bi-weekly.

Main Results:

• Three out of four children demonstrated significant functional improvement based on GAS T-scores.
• Two participants achieved statistically significant results on nonparametric binomial tests after six months.
• The study highlights positive trends in functional gains through hippotherapy.

Conclusions:

• Hippotherapy shows promise as an intervention for improving functional outcomes in children with physical disabilities.
• The Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) is a viable tool for single-case research in pediatric rehabilitation.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to confirm these findings.