EFFECT OF RIDING THERAPY ON BEHAVIORAL AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a clinically diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder. The treatment of ASD includes both psychosocial and psychopharmacological interventions, of which hippotherapy was highlighted in this study. This therapy uses horses as instruments, and has a fundamental influence on psychological function. This research is an integrative literature review and aims to evaluate the effects of hippotherapy in the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder based on the analysis of previous studies already carried out. Digital research platforms were used, and descriptors in English “autism” and “hippotherapy” were used. Clinical and randomized controlled studies from the last 10 years were selected, and are presented and discussed in this work. The results suggest that hippotherapy benefits patients with autism in the areas of socialization, communication, self-care, mobility, and coordination, resulting in significant improvements in the symptoms of irritability, hyperactivity, social interaction deficits, and restricted behavior patterns that are part of autism spectrum disorder. Although hippotherapy has demonstrated benefits for patients with ASD, there is a lack of information on the treatment time required to achieve positive long-term results.