The Horse Boy

[barefoot wend]

Has anyone read this? My MIL read excerpts in 'The Daily Mail' (can hardly write that without spitting), and tells me that it's about an autistic boy who has an affinity with horses so his Dad takes him out to Mongolia where, my MIL assures me, he was CURED!

 

With an endorsement like that I'm almost bound not to read it.

 

Barefoot

[pearl]

I expect a TV dramatisation any day now ....

[baddad]

No comment on the book, but i really get incensed by these parents who spend their disabled 4 year olds DLA money on trips to 'swim with the dolphins'

 

And they always say 'It's what he/she has wanted since they could speak'... What? to bob about in a arm bands with sexually aggressive (Oh yes they are - do some research if you don't believe me) swimming machines three times their own body weight and size? yore avin a larf. if kids think they want that it's because it's a planted suggestion - no if's/no buts.

Don't get me wrong, i've got nowt against dolphins but i really really hate this exploitation of them (while you're researching the sexual aggression bit check out the impact on local ecology and economy of this 'growth industry') and the namby pamby new age twaddle spouted by parents who want to spend their childs money on fulfilling their own fantasies.

 

Apologies to anyone who might have invested in a dolphin swimathon - just my opinion.

 

The one thing i can say about the book without reading it - horses can't cure autism. Nor can dogs. Nor can medical science. Nor can diet. Nor can behavioural modification programmes. Nor can alternative medicine. Nor can 'PECS'.

Not saying any of the above can't be helpful in coping with the affects of autism for some individuals, but dere aint no 'cure'.

 

L&P

 

BD

[letterwriter]

There is a full account of this story in Michael Fitzpatrick's excellent book "Defeating Autism: a Damaging Delusion". According to Dr Fitzpatrick, the boy was not cured, but suffered a major regression following a traumatic and abusive attempt to cure him by a sharman in Mongolia. And he was far too terrified to go anywhere near the horses.

I strongly recommend Dr Fitzpatrick's book to everyone.

[florrie]

Interesting how does he know the child regressed, surely the parents views are the most reliable rather than a gp who probably never met him. His book does look interesting and the reviews I read I did agree with

 

I love animals myself and relate to them better than people because I feel they are abused by humans rather than being treated for sentient, free living creatures they are, a bit like autistic people really.

 

I've read the horse boy too and I liked the book as I'm interested in anything holistic but I'm very literal and believe everything I read and then get confused. I guess everyone is different.

Edited April 15, 2009 by florrie

[raelien]

I am in the process of reading this book but I also have met the author Rupert Issaccson and his son Rowan and seen the film that was made at the same time as writing the book. he recently attended the new forest riding therapy centre.

 

Its an amazing story not just about the child but the healing of the family.

 

it touches on the relationship between an Autistic child and animals ( namely Horses) but also on shamanism and spiritual

 

I loved the book, and the personal story and would reccomend to anyone

 

would also reccomend that anyone who is able to - sees the film too.

 

 

[raelien]

There is a full account of this story in Michael Fitzpatrick's excellent book "Defeating Autism: a Damaging Delusion". According to Dr Fitzpatrick, the boy was not cured, but suffered a major regression following a traumatic and abusive attempt to cure him by a sharman in Mongolia. And he was far too terrified to go anywhere near the horses.

I strongly recommend Dr Fitzpatrick's book to everyone.

 

 

I have met Rowan and he certainly HAS NOT REGRESSED.

 

in fact it was a treat to see him interacting with other children in a way he had never done before the trip in no way is Rowan Cured but he is in a btter place than he was before. even the parents themselves do not see Rowan as cured and do not endorse this route to anyone, they are just sharing their incredible story

Edited June 10, 2009 by raelien

[Mum of 3]

No comment on the book, but i really get incensed by these parents who spend their disabled 4 year olds DLA money on trips to 'swim with the dolphins'

 

And they always say 'It's what he/she has wanted since they could speak'... What? to bob about in a arm bands with sexually aggressive (Oh yes they are - do some research if you don't believe me) swimming machines three times their own body weight and size? yore avin a larf. if kids think they want that it's because it's a planted suggestion - no if's/no buts.

Don't get me wrong, i've got nowt against dolphins but i really really hate this exploitation of them (while you're researching the sexual aggression bit check out the impact on local ecology and economy of this 'growth industry') and the namby pamby new age twaddle spouted by parents who want to spend their childs money on fulfilling their own fantasies.

 

Apologies to anyone who might have invested in a dolphin swimathon - just my opinion.

 

The one thing i can say about the book without reading it - horses can't cure autism. Nor can dogs. Nor can medical science. Nor can diet. Nor can behavioural modification programmes. Nor can alternative medicine. Nor can 'PECS'.

Not saying any of the above can't be helpful in coping with the affects of autism for some individuals, but dere aint no 'cure'.

 

L&P

 

 

BD

 

 

Don't hold back now BD, tell us what you really think!

 

 

[pearl]

I managed to find this old thread so I thought I'd bump it rather than post on the book thread.

 

Finished it yesterday, & reading some of the comments (including my own ) on here I expected to be shouting at it all the way through.

 

But actually, I really enjoyed it. First off, the family didn't just latch onto horses/shamanism out of thin air. The father trained horses for a living & noticed that his son had an affinity with them long before the trip. Horses, as herd animals, spontaneously submitted to his son as their leader. He also had a good knowledge of & respect for shamanism, having lived in Africa & having a friend who was a shaman.

 

He noticed tangible improvements in his son after riding - calmer, more focused, better speech (I know a couple of other peeps who have experienced this too) and that he also improved following a healing by a group of shamans at a conference in America that he took his son to. But he always regressed fairly quickly.

 

Before setting off on what he himself thought might be a crazy wild goose chase, he went to see Temple Grandin, who confirmed that the constant readjustment of balance required to ride a horse can have some effect on the brain. She also believes that many autists have an affinity to & understanding of animals that NT's generally don't.

She knew nothing about shamanism, but when it was explained to her, said that stuff like the rhythmic drumming etc could also have a similar effect. She advised him to go, & add to the sum of knowledge.

 

He made it absolutely clear from the start of the book that he wasn't looking for a 'cure' for his son, but he was hoping for 'healing' for the more disabling aspects of his autism - namely, the constant meltdowns & the fact that he wasn't toilet trained at the age of 6. If the book is to be believed, both things happened within a day of his final shaman healing, just as the shaman said it would. Who knows, it may have happened anyway, but just those two things have produced major improvements in the child's life. They were advised to take the boy to a shaman once a year for a further three years to consolidate the improvement.

 

He also made it clear that he wasn't advocating that people eschew 'conventional' strategies, but maybe consider using less mainstream stuff in conjunction with them. Personally I think it was very risky - it was truly a trip into the unknown - but for them it produced benefits. If it hadn't & the child had been traumatised or damaged by the experience, I doubt the book would have been written so I still have a smattering of scepticism about it all.

 

Glad I read it, though.