Evaluation of the Efficacy of Hippotherapy for Children With Developmental Disorders

Hippotherapy is every program of horseback riding meant to treat people with physiological, mental, social, cognitive or behavioral problems. The purpose of the current research is to evaluate the efficacy of hippotherapy for children with developmental disabilities. The hypothesis is that children with developmental disabilities who are treated with hippotherapy will show better outcomes than children with the same problems who are not treated with hippotherapy.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Detailed Description

Hippotherapy is every program of horseback riding meant to treat people with physiological, mental, social, cognitive or behavioral problems. Most studies that tested hippotherapy were uncontrolled and focused on motor problems, such as cerebral palsy. Today, hippotherapy is used for various developmental problems such as Attention deficit / Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), without clear information about its efficacy for these populations.

The purpose of the current research is to evaluate the efficacy of 6 months of hippotherapy for children with developmental disabilities. The hypothesis is that children with developmental disabilities who are treated with hippotherapy for 6 months will show better outcomes than children with the same problems who are not treated with hippotherapy.

Assessment:

• BRIEF questionnaire
• Stony Brook Questionnaire

All questionnaires will be applied at the beginning of the study and after 6 months.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 40

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Israel
  • Ramat-Gan, Israel
    • Weinberg Child Development Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 5 years to 17 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Hippotherapy subjects will be taken from horseback riding farms. Control subjects will be taken from a tertiary care clinic.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age: 5-17 years.
• A diagnosis of ADHD or ASD.

Exclusion Criteria:

• None.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

4

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Hippotherapy_ADHD; 10 children with ADHD who receive hippotherapy
Hippotherapy_ASD; 10 children with ASD who receive hippotherapy
Control_ADHD; 10 children with ADHD who DO NOT receive hippotherapy
Control_ASD; 10 children with ASD who DO NOT receive hippotherapy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Improving the parameters of autism	Repetitive behaviors Eye contact Communication	Repetitive behaviors

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Sheba Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2008
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Actual): July 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 16, 2008
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 16, 2008
• First Posted (Estimate): July 17, 2008

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): March 1, 2013
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 28, 2013
• Last Verified: February 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: ADHD; ASD
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Pathologic Processes; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Disease; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Developmental Disabilities
• Other Study ID Numbers: SHEBA-08-5327-LG-CTIL