Autism Study conducted at SpiritHorse

UT Southwestern Medical Center & The Autism Treatment Center of Dallas conduct study at SpiritHorse Therapeutic Riding Center.

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and the Autism Treatment Center of Dallas (ATC) teamed up with SpiritHorse Therapeutic Riding Center to evaluate the effects of equine assisted therapy in persons with autism spectrum disorder, PDD, ASD, or Asperger’s. The study measured sensory processing, language, autism severity, and behavioral outcomes.

Read the December 2008 Texas Non-Profits report on results

Autistic Spectrum Disorder is defined under Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994). Because there is a lack of clearly defined diagnostic differences between the diagnosis of autism and PDD, the two are sometimes used interchangeably.

Autism presents special issues because each person with autism is unique in his or her abilities, strengths, problems, and health issues. An individual can fall somewhere on the spectrum depending on their social interaction, communication, and other behaviors, relevant to observable contexts related to autism spectrum disorders.

Autism is a neurological disorder that limits a person’s ability to function normally. Behavioral abnormalities, social limitations, sensory processing abnormalities, and impaired ability to communicate are the main issues in this multifaceted disorder.