zaman Report post Posted January 24, 2010 http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/201...rupert-isaacson 'A healing, not a cure'. Hmmm, I'm trying hard to work on my prejudices having read this. What do other people think? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted January 24, 2010 I read the book several months back expecting to think it was ######, tbh. But I actually found it very thought provoking. No way do I think the boy is cured - but he has improved, if the book is to be believed. He may of course have improved anyway. The family were very horse-oriented (as was the boy) and had an interest in shamanism, before going on this journey - so I can see that, for them, it made sense to give it a go. They were getting little help elsewhere. And for them, it seems to have brought some benefits. I think its a very individual response, though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted January 24, 2010 (edited) We've had dog therapy... we've had horse therapy... swimmin wiv tha dolfins... Now New and improved At a bargain one-off price... HISSING COCKROACH THERAPY!!! Taking my tongue out of my cheek for a moment, I do believe 'pets' of any description can make a huge difference in a child's life, and in ways that aren't immediately predictable. Glancing at the story though, one very significant 'factor' that they've seemed to overlook: What changes did the journey create in the parents? And how did that effect the way they interacted with their son? The kind of major changes in parenting 'technique', living arrangements, challenges to the boys 'confort zone' etc etc etc etc etc during a 'spiritual journey' like this would be absolutely huge - exactly the kind of 'quantum leaps' in fact, that would predict radical behavioural change in almost any developing child. Absolutely nowt to do with autism. Or horses. Or Shaman's. Just 'nature'. L&P BD Edited January 24, 2010 by baddad Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jannih Report post Posted January 24, 2010 It's a well known fact that humans can benefit fron interactions with animals. Just stroking an animal can reduce high blood pressure etc. There is also an organisation called "Pets As Therapy," which takes animals into hospitals and care homes. I don't doubt for one minute that this little boy has improved with this "equine therapy" but what has worked for him might not work for the next kid. Maybe horses are his obsession. Maybe his parents' relaxing holiday in Mongolia rubbed off on him. They were relaxed, he was relaxed. Better still, enrol your kids with a riding school that gives classes for disabled children. Someone had said, "Temple Grandin has spent so much time around cows, but she has not been cured of her autism." Well said, in my opinion. What does annoy me, is that parents are being asked to cough up £850 to take their kids away on a weekend course to ride horses. If you ask me, someone somewhere is being expoited. Now excuse me while I go off and stroke my pussy cat. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jannih Report post Posted January 25, 2010 (edited) I read the book several months back expecting to think it was ######, tbh. But I actually found it very thought provoking. No way do I think the boy is cured - but he has improved, if the book is to be believed. He may of course have improved anyway. The family were very horse-oriented (as was the boy) and had an interest in shamanism, before going on this journey - so I can see that, for them, it made sense to give it a go. They were getting little help elsewhere. And for them, it seems to have brought some benefits. I think its a very individual response, though. Like you, I have no doubt that he was genuinely helped. I don't blame the parents for writing a book and making a few quid from that. After all it is a "human interest" story. As long as it is not touted as a " cure for all" then it should be OK. What I find distasteful are these weekends costing £850 a time, for something that might not work, causing disillusionment for parents who, might be desperately searching for a "cure". Edited January 25, 2010 by Jannih Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
A and A Report post Posted January 25, 2010 Looks like too many people are giving up! It's helped one boy, why cant it help others? I think we all know that every child is different and responds to different things. I for one will not stop searching or hoping there is way to help my son. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted January 25, 2010 Hi A+A - I don't think anyone posting on unenthusiastically on the benefits of horse therapy is 'giving up'. I do think, though, that they've probably made a decision to spend their kids DLA money on more soundly researched and practically based therapies, or even just on putting in some effort themselves rather than hoping somebody's gonna come along with an (albeit expensive) miracle solution for them. I'm not a religious person at all, but if push came to shove and i was forced at gunpoint to either take my son to a spiritualist revival meeting where he could be 'cured by the almighty and compassionate hand of the lord' or to take him on a trek through Mongolia putting my faith in Champion The Wonder Horse, I'd probably go for the former just on the basis of 'the logic of numbers' (i.e. more believe in the former than the latter)... Or maybe not; because if you take all the BS (or should I say HS?) out of the equation then at least you get a holiday out of the latter - which, as i and others pointed out, could be very beneficial for very many reasons other than the ones suggested in this article. L&P BD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted January 25, 2010 Like you, I have no doubt that he was genuinely helped. I don't blame the parents for writing a book and making a few quid from that. After all it is a "human interest" story. As long as it is not touted as a " cure for all" then it should be OK. What I find distasteful are these weekends costing £850 a time, for something that might not work, causing disillusionment for parents who, might be desperately searching for a "cure". Yes, I agree about the weekends. Bit like the Sonrise industry. I was almost relieved of £1500 from them back in the day before I knew any better. Thankfully someone put me straight. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted January 25, 2010 Bit like the Sonrise industry. Well I know it got to number one, but it was a bit of a one off - I'd hardly call it an industry! Sonrise Bringing in de morning Sonrise Bringind in de dawning Spreading all de light all around all around all around all around... (Didgeridon't break, then take it to the bridge...) Oh.... That Sonrise... yerse.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chris54 Report post Posted February 3, 2010 I just happened to See a bit of a TV program last night, (At work at 3am, don't ask), anyway it was about different type of healing, a bit gruesome in places. It ended with a boy on a horse who in the words of the presenters had had a "Miracle" cure for Autism. What I saw was a boy who had, according to him mother "Never seen a horse before" being reluctant to go near the horse and being very quiet. He was surrounded by strangers and a camera crew at the time. Anyway after some coercing he got on the horse and ended up enjoying having a ride on the horse, and became relaxed. What I did not see is the miracle that the presenters kept telling us had happened. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
