Changing Lives of Autistic Children Through Horse Therapy

Horse therapy as a therapy model for autistic children is now a topic of debate. For clinically disposed experts, horse therapy does nothing more than introduce an additional stimulus into the mix. There are others who believe that with proper training, horse therapy holds great potential in treating autism.

Parents of autistic children have had many therapies and medications tossed their way, with hopes of reaching their children on a whole new level. Many parents are now looking after the potential of alternative methods for their children's condition despite all the promises of many therapies and medications. Even though the autistic aware community has become increasingly focused on horse therapy, this is still considered a new but promising therapy model for children with all type of disabilities especially autism.

Horses are of course majestic animals that carry with them a fabulous tale of potential, wonder, and amazing feats. Horse therapy as a therapy for autism has come under great scrutiny for some clinical experts. There are ample psychiatrists, physicians, and other experts who believe that horse therapy does nothing more than introduce an additional stimulus into the mix. There are others who believe that horse therapy holds great potential for those well trained and great potential for failure for those who believe they can just stick an autistic child and a horse in the same area and wait for a miracle.

The Horse Communicator

There have been movies made and books written about the possibilities horse therapies present. In fact, some of the great myths and legends of Native American origin include horses that can ultimately reach the unreachable, guide the blind and grace the deaf. These myths and legends make fantastic movie material, but those with disabled children live in the real world. Is it possible that a horse can help bring a child to a new level of communication? Of course it is. Those who have experienced success state rather emphatically that the therapy is not for all autistic children or all horses. Just like people, dogs, and cats, some horses have a higher degree of sensitivity. Some autistic children are looking to be reached while others are not. The right child paired with the right horse is the magic combination, according to those who have successfully helped autistic children communicate and reach out through horses.

Hopes, Dreams, and Realism

Many therapies that come along in hopes of helping autistic and otherwise disabled children, all of which are heavily publicized and turned into the media spectacle of new hope and promise. Those who have received proper training and have participated in case studies want parents to completely understand that horses are incredibly sensitive and can possibly stimulate a child's communication skills; thus because of this horse therapy has intentionally stayed as far from the media spotlight. Horses, just like all other experimental therapies and treatments, have successfully reached many children in ways that their parents and other clinical experts have not been able to. However, not every disabled child will look toward a horse just as not every disabled child will respond the same way toward medication and other therapies.

Not Just Any Trainer

The neighbor down the road who owns a horse or that farm that you pass on the way to the beach that has horses running around is not likely to be the place to introduce a disabled child to the horse. Horses that have proven to work effectively with disabled children have undergone some amount of training to help make them less intimidating. The trainers have gone through extensive training in order to understand how previously successful sessions have worked. Parents should be strongly cautioned against anyone making significant claims, advertising the services of their horse, or anyone offering to treat the child that offers up no credible form of proof of education and certification. People will surely prey on the desperate and horse therapy is no different. The right trainer and the right horse are strictly required in order to involve a disabled child in horse therapy.

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Pet Loss - Helping Your Child Get Through the Grief

It is always difficult to deal with the loss of a pet, but it can be even more devastating to a child. Children often find it hard to understand what happened to their pet, and older children who do understand are often distraught. When you have to help your child deal with this loss, it can be a bit more difficult for you. Not only do you need to help your child with this loss, but you also have to cope with it yourself. It is natural for your child to grieve. To help you give your child the help that they need, here are some ideas that you can use to help your child get through this time of grief.

Encourage Discussion About the Pet

The first thing you can do to help your child get through the grieving process for your pet is to encourage discussion about the pet. Allow them to talk about their pet. You should be open about your pet as well. Encourage them to talk to others about their pet too. Discussing the pet can make them feel closer to their pet, even though the pet is gone. Grieving is all about openness and talking about the pet can be very helpful to children who are grieving.

Share Your Own Feelings

Another important thing you can do to help your child deal with pet loss is to share your own feelings. You need to let your child know that you are upset as well and that you feel the pain of loss and sadness. Sometimes the best thing you can do to help your child is to shed some tears together. They will feel like you are there with them, feeling the same pain, which will help them get through this.

Try to Answer Questions Honestly

You also need to try to answer questions honestly with your children if they ask you about the loss of a pet. Sometimes for smaller children, this can be a bit more difficult. Consider the age of your children and do your best to give honest answers that are age appropriate. It may not be easy, but honesty can help them get through this time, even though it is difficult.

Take Time for a Memorial to Your Pet

Taking time out to have a memorial to your pet is a wonderful idea if you have kids that are grieving over the loss of their pet. Whether you simply have a time of silence in the back yard, you bury your pet, or have them put in a pet urn, a special memorial can help your child have a sense of closure. When you formally grieve the pet, it can help your child get through this process, feeling that they have taken the time out to grieve their pet.

These are just a few ideas that you can use to help your child as they go through pet loss with you. Use these tips to help them deal with the loss and make sure that you take time to grieve your pet as well.

http://www.PetUrns.com is build especially for those who are looking for special ways to memorialize their beloved pets. Here you can choose from a variety of products such as pet caskets, pet urns, memorial jewelry, engraved urns and other sympathy gifts.

Helping Preschoolers Through The Death of a Pet

The death of a pet can be very unsettling for preschoolers. They may immediately cry at finding out about the death or they may have no reaction at all. It will depend on their age, developmental stage and exposure to death at this point in their lives. They see and hear about death through television or hearing others talk about it, however, many times, the death of a pet is a child's first encounter with death.

Preschool aged children do not typically understand that death is forever. They may think that the pet is sleeping or has run away or is just at the vet's office and will return. The wording is very important. Many times, parents will say that the pet "has gone away" or "went to sleep and did not wake up". This causes unrest and anxiety in many children. They may develop separation anxieties when they are dropped off at school or at a family member's home. Children may worry that their parent or caregiver might go away and not come back. Children do see death as temporary at this age and therefore may see death as "separation" rather than permanent.

They may develop sleeping problems themselves fearing that maybe THEY will fall asleep and never wake up. Older preschoolers may think that their own behavior or action caused the death (I didn't play with him this morning, I yelled at him for chewing my toy, I forgot to feed her today, etc.). It is important that the child be reassured that they were not the cause of the death.

A child might respond to the death of a pet by crying, asking questions or with no apparent reaction at all. As the days go by after the death of the pet, they may begin asking questions or talking about the pet more. They may say things like "I hear a dog barking, Rover is home!" It will be important to remind them that Rover has died and will not be coming home.

Many children ask if their pet went to heaven or parents will tell their children that the pet is in heaven. This is purely a personal choice based on the family's religious beliefs. But again, it is important for children to realize that going to heaven is permanent, too. The pet will not be returning.

When dealing with the death of a pet, it is important for you to talk with the parent(s) or caregiver(s) about what the child knows. You may be the person that the parent comes to for advice on how to break this sad news to the child. Here are some pointers of advice to pass on to parents:

1. Tell the preschooler that the pet died (use the word died-not went away or is gone or went to sleep) and will not be coming back.

At this age, they do not need long, drawn out discussions. Give them a simple, brief explanation based on their age, remembering that their attention spans are not that long. Too much information can confuse them or will be so much that they tune out and do not understand what you are saying.

2. Tell the child why the pet died, but briefly. "He was very ill or very old." There is no need to try to guess what the child is asking you. If they ask "Was she sick?" that is what they need to know right now. Answering simply "Yes, she was very sick." is enough for now.

3. Assure the child that they did not cause the death.

4. Let the child talk about the pet or death of the pet in their time.

5. Help the child remember their pet by drawing a picture of them together and hanging it up or hanging a picture of the pet.

6. The child may or may not talk about the pet or death of the pet for some time.

7. Some behavior changes might be seen in response to the loss of a pet such as changes in mood, toileting habits, play habits and sleep disturbances.

8. There are many books available about this subject. Following this article is a list of books that were recommended to me by other teachers in the field. It is important that you or the parent read them first before reading any of them to the child to be sure that the book is appropriate for that individual child and is in agreement with the family's beliefs about death.

9. Ask parents to keep you updated on how the child is reacting to the death so that you, with the parents, can work as a team and help this child through this in a consistent manner.

10. Contact your local Hospice center for advice and resources. They are very helpful and informative about helping children deal with death of a pet or of a person.

Book List suggestions regarding Death of a Pet:

All God's Creatures Go To Heaven by Noel
Cat Heaven by Rylant
The Day Scooter Died: A Book about the Death of a Pet by Long-Bostrom
Dog Heaven by Rylant
The Fall of Freddy the Leaf by Buscaglia
For Every Cat an Angel by Davis
For Every Dog an Angel by Davis
The Forever Dog by Cochran
I'll Always Love You Wilhelm
It Must Hurt a Lot by Sanford
The Legend of Rainbow Bridge by Britton
Lifetimes by Mellonie & Ingpen
My Grandson Lew by Zolotow
Remembering Pets by Dalpra-Berman
Remembering Ruby: For Families Living Beyond the Loss of a Pet by Wells
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Viorst
The True Story of Critter Angels by Diamond
When A Pet Dies by Rogers
When Your Pet Dies by Pomerance

Cheryl Hatch has been working with preschool children and their families since 1995. She has over 15 years experience teaching and directing in preschool programs. She is the owner of http://www.preschool-plan-it.com

For preschool themed activities and ideas, articles and information to help you in your preschool classroom or with your preschool children, visit http://www.preschool-plan-it.com

Creative Ways to Help Kids Through a Pet Loss

Pet loss is difficult enough when you are an adult and understand the concept of death. However, grasping this concept when you are a child can be next to impossible. This has much to do with the fact that children don't often fully understand loss of any magnitude and certainly don't understand it where their pets are involved.

Children are often more attached to pets in a different way than are adults. They consider their pets to be friends and play companions. Therefore, when a child loses a pet, it is hard to understand and often completely devastating to a child. Understanding this will help adults to deal with children experiencing a pet loss. Here are five creative ways to help your child through the loss of a pet:

* Allow them to talk about it: Don't try to shove the issue under the rug, so to speak. Instead, encourage them to talk openly about what they are feeling and the emotions that they experience on a daily basis. Anytime they need to talk about what happened, encourage them to be open and honest and talk about their feelings with the people they are most comfortable with.

* Encourage them to express themselves through other mediums (art, music, etc.): This is always a great way for children to express anything they going through - positive or negative. Allow them to do paintings or drawings; they can be about anything from what they are feeling to pictures of their lost pet. Allow them to convey whatever they need to through the use of art.

* Don't offer to immediately replace their pet: One of the biggest mistakes parents make in dealing with pet loss is replacing the lost pet with a new one too soon. Allow your child to process their grief and loss over their current pet and when - and only when - they are ready, and then allow them to be involved in the process of choosing a new pet.

* Make them a scrapbook or other picture album: Because most children will want to remember their pet, make a scrapbook or photo album of the pet. Include solo photos as well as photos of the child with the pet, providing them with the means to remember all of the good times they shared with their pet.

* Try a kid-friendly product, like a Kidoodlyrock: A Kidoodlyrock is a pet grave marker with your child's drawing of their pet engraved onto it. This is a great way to help your child feel involved in creating their pet's memorial, while using art to help them work through their grief. This is one of the first pet loss products geared towards children and is the perfect way to help them through such a difficult time.

These tips are designed to help children overcome the grief that accompanies pet loss. However, it should be noted that not all children react to loss the same (each age is different) and some may take more time than others to come to terms with the loss of their friend. Be sure to patient and allow them the space to grieve without rushing the process, understanding that with time, their hurt will heal.

Colleen Mihelich
Owner, Peternity . . . honoring your pet for eternity
http://www.peternity.com
colleen@peternity.com
877-PET-PEACE

Creative Ways to Help Kids Through a Pet Loss

Pet loss is difficult enough when you are an adult and understand the concept of death. However, grasping this concept when you are a child can be next to impossible. This has much to do with the fact that children don't often fully understand loss of any magnitude and certainly don't understand it where their pets are involved.

Children are often more attached to pets in a different way than are adults. They consider their pets to be friends and play companions. Therefore, when a child loses a pet, it is hard to understand and often completely devastating to a child. Understanding this will help adults to deal with children experiencing a pet loss. Here are five creative ways to help your child through the loss of a pet:

* Allow them to talk about it: Don't try to shove the issue under the rug, so to speak. Instead, encourage them to talk openly about what they are feeling and the emotions that they experience on a daily basis. Anytime they need to talk about what happened, encourage them to be open and honest and talk about their feelings with the people they are most comfortable with.

* Encourage them to express themselves through other mediums (art, music, etc.): This is always a great way for children to express anything they going through - positive or negative. Allow them to do paintings or drawings; they can be about anything from what they are feeling to pictures of their lost pet. Allow them to convey whatever they need to through the use of art.

* Don't offer to immediately replace their pet: One of the biggest mistakes parents make in dealing with pet loss is replacing the lost pet with a new one too soon. Allow your child to process their grief and loss over their current pet and when - and only when - they are ready, and then allow them to be involved in the process of choosing a new pet.

* Make them a scrapbook or other picture album: Because most children will want to remember their pet, make a scrapbook or photo album of the pet. Include solo photos as well as photos of the child with the pet, providing them with the means to remember all of the good times they shared with their pet.

* Try a kid-friendly product, like a Kidoodlyrock: A Kidoodlyrock is a pet grave marker with your child's drawing of their pet engraved onto it. This is a great way to help your child feel involved in creating their pet's memorial, while using art to help them work through their grief. This is one of the first pet loss products geared towards children and is the perfect way to help them through such a difficult time.

These tips are designed to help children overcome the grief that accompanies pet loss. However, it should be noted that not all children react to loss the same (each age is different) and some may take more time than others to come to terms with the loss of their friend. Be sure to patient and allow them the space to grieve without rushing the process, understanding that with time, their hurt will heal.

Colleen Mihelich
Owner, Peternity . . . honoring your pet for eternity
http://www.peternity.com
colleen@peternity.com
877-PET-PEACE