Abstract

FERREIRA, Jackeline Tuan Costa; CARVALHO, Diego Lorenzi de; CARBONERO, Flávia Cristina  and  CAMPOS, Denise. Qualitative analysis of the effect of equine-assisted therapy for children with cerebral palsy. Cad. Pós-Grad. Distúrb. Desenvolv. [online]. 2017, vol.17, n.1, pp. 62-68. ISSN 1519-0307.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5935/cadernosdisturbios.v17n1p62-68.

The Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a damage which affects the central nervous system and results in a motor disorder. The riding therapy is a therapeutic method that supports the rehabilitation of children with disabilities. This study aimed to assess children with CP before and after the riding therapy treatment. This was a case report of three children with CP. Functional Independence Measure (FIM) was used to assessment the children. The treatment was performed individually with a horse and an exercise protocol. Each session lasted 30 minutes, once a week, for six months. After treatment, the children increased their total FIM's score. There was improvement regarding the self-care practices (healthy feed, personal hygiene, bath, to dress themselves, to use the toilet), mobility (from the seat to the bed, toilet/shower), locomotion (walking/wheelchair, stairs), communication (expression), social cognition (social interaction, to solve problems). It was concluded that riding therapy was effective for the CP children's treatment.

Keywords : Equine-Assisted Therapy; Horseback Riding Therapy; Cerebral Palsy.

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