Autism EAL(Equine Assisted Learning) groups are offered 3 times a year for 12 weeks. Ages start at 7 years old to teens. Sessions are designed in 2 parts.  The first 20-25 minutes of the session, a social skill is presented and learned. The second half of the session, an activity involving the horses is presented to generalize the skill taught. EAL designs activities that stimulate real life scenarios for the children and teens. Using the horses- creates a mirror of emotions and a picture of how other people may be reacting to their actions in their own life.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder do not “read” other people’s emotions. Studies have shown how children with autism prefer to look at objects than at a human face. Most are aware that they are not “fitting in” but do not know how to change it on their own. These children can learn social skills, but will not be through the typical means of imitation. Children with autism need to be systemically taught social skills through a clear and structured scope and sequence of specific skills. Pairing these structured teachings and the opportunities for generalization in varies learning environments are essential for their social success.

Our curriculum will address the main hallmark deficits that children on the spectrum experience. They will learn how to identify, express and control emotions, learn conversational skills as a speaker, learn the unspoken rules of communication, what it takes to be a friend, perspective taking and how to problem solve in any situation. These are only a few of the skills that will be taught over the 12 weeks.

Contact us for a consultion or to check on when the next group will be starting!