PARENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THERAPEUTIC HORSEBACK RIDING IN CHILDREN WITH VARYING DISABILITIES

1. PARENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THERAPEUTIC HORSEBACK RIDING IN CHILDREN WITH VARYING DISABILITIES

2. INTRODUCTION

3. PURPOSE • To describe • demographic, disability and HBR background factors of children participants • parent perceptions of HBR effectiveness in children with varying disabilities • To explore • relationships among demographic, disability, and HBR factors and HBR effectiveness.

4. Justification • Significant: • Research Gap • IDEA/IEP/504 • Researchable • Feasible

5. LITERATURE REVIEW

6. DISABILITY • Affects 54 million people and 4.4 million children in the U.S. • Disability covers the lifespan – decrease learned dependence • Special Education – maximize potential • Global Concern • WHO’s ICF (International Classification of Function, Disability and Health)

7. History & Policy • 1864 Gallaudet College for Deaf • 1917 Smith-Sears Bill – Vocational Rehab. • 1964 Civil Rights Act 1964 – access not denied • 1965 ESEA – Elementary/Second. Education Act • Funding for research – special education. • 1968 Handicapped Children’s Early Education Assistance Act • 1973 Rehabilitation Act (504) • 1975 PL 94-142 EAHCA/Ed. For All Handicapped (IEP) 1991 (IDEA) and IDEA 97 (FAPE)

8. 504 at Work

9. OSEP AND EARLY INTERVENTION

10. Integrative Models to Understand Disability • Contextual – Environment • Bronfenbrenner • Biopsychosocial • Kavale, Umanski & Hooper, Seligman, Simmeonson, Thompson • WHO – • Environment and Personal

12. Environmental Factors(WHO, 2001, ICF Introduction p. 8). "The basic construct of the Environmental Factors component is the facilitating or hindering impact of features of the physical, social and attitudinal world”

13. Human-Animal InteractionMyers , All, Loving, & Crane Human-Animal Bond: Delta Society: Awareness, Barriers, Therapy AAA (Pet Visitation) AAT(Certified Professionals Goals) • Calm, Social Skills, Responsibility, Stress, Patience, Loneliness, Warmth • Kaufmann, Arkow, Poleshuck, Edney, Jorgenson, Nathanson, Triebenbacher

14. AAA/AAT A A A

15. Horseback Riding NARHA • 500 facilities nationally, and 36 in FL • Standards • Education • Archives of Studies

16. Therapists and Volunteers

17. AAT-> Therapeutic Horseback Riding • Equine-Assisted, Recreational, TherapeuticBream & Spangler • Hippotherapy (AHA) • Licensed Health Professionals • Heine & Benjamin

18. Riding Classes

19. Psychomotricity Sensory Input • Psychomotricity promotes mind and body integration through movement (Spink, 1993). Movement: Rhythm, Special Stride Passive and Active Therapy that Can’t be Replicated by Routine Therapy

20. Psychomotricity

21. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

22. Environmental Factors Personal Factors Participation in AAT/THBR Length of Time in THBR Other Horseback Riding Factors Biopsychosocial Behaviors Human-Animal Interaction Human-Animal Bond Movement (Psychomotricity) Personal Factors Demographic Disability

23. HBR is an Environmental Factor This human-animal interaction, including human-animal bonding and movement(psychomotricity) • interact with other factors, including --personal factors (demographic and type of disability) • which together affectbiopsychosocial behaviors in children with disabilities.

24. Human-Animal Interaction

25. THREE RESEARCH QUESTIONS • Disabilities, Demographics, HBR • Effectiveness of HBR • Explore Relationships

26. METHODOLOGY

27. DESIGN • NON-EXPERIMENTAL, SURVEY RESEARCH • DESCRIPTIVE • EXPLORATORY

28. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES(Attribute) DEMOGRAPHIC DISABILITY TYPE HORSEBACK RIDING BACKGROUND FACTORS

29. DEPENDENT VARIABLE Parent Ratings of Effectiveness on 5 – SUBSCALES (67 Behaviors) Single Item: Rate Overall HBR Effectiveness

30. SAMPLING PLAN • Step 1 • Identify NARHA certified horseback riding facilities that would agree to participate. • Step 2 • Identify parents that agree to participate and met eligibility criteria

31. SAMPLE AND SETTING CONVENIENCE SAMPLE • 6 Riding Facilities – NARHA Certified • Tri-County Area • English Speaking • Qualify with a Disability • 64 of 159 Parents of Children 4-19 • 40% Participation Rate (Self-Selected)

32. INSTRUMENTATION HORSEBACK RIDING SURVEY • Part 1. HBR Background Information • Part 2. Parent Rating of Effectiveness • 67 Behaviors - Organized in 5 subscales scales (5-point Likert Rating) • One item – overall rating of effectiveness (0-100) • Part 3. Three open – ended questions

33. VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY • Content Validity (Part 2) • Literature and Judges (HBR instructors and Dissertation Chair) • Criterion-Related Validity (Part 2) • 51/67 behaviors positively correlated with the overall effectiveness rating (p=<.05) • Reliability (Internal Consistency) (Part 2) • Coefficient Alphas • Five subscales: r=.8735-.9561 • Total Scale: r=.9775 • Split Half-Reliability (r=.7999-.9437)

34. DATA COLLECTION Consent Form Confidentiality Survey: No Identifiers One month Multiple site visits Natural Setting

35. Data Collection

36. RESULTS

37. Research Question # 1 • Demographic • Disability • Horseback Riding Information

38. Demographic • Gender57.8% Males and 42.2% Females • Race/Ethnicity • White/Caucasian 70.3% • Hispanic 29.7% • No Black Representation • Age (4-19 Range) 10.7 Mean 9-11 (34.4%)

40. Disability: Check Any of the 13 U.S. IDEA Categories • Specific Learning Disability 46.9% • Speech/Language 45.3% • Autism 42.2% • Mental Retardation 32.8% • Orthopedic 32.8% • Developmental Delay 31.3%

41. Disabilities • Average number = 3.19 • 75% Checked more than one category (Co-Occurring Disabilities)

43. 65.0% Free 85.9% Very Interested in Coming Months: 1-162; = 2-3 yrs Hours Per Week ½ hr. – 2 hrs. Aver. 1hr. Reasons:Physical 73.4%, Recreational 70.3% Social 62.5%, Occupational 57.8% Emotional 40.6%, Behavioral Modification 29.7% Word of Mouth 43.7% Horseback Riding Information

45. Research Question #2 Parent Perceptions of Behavioral Effectiveness • Likert Agreement/Disagreement Rating (assign 1-5) • Five Subscales of 67 Behaviors • Observed improvement in behaviors since they began HBR One item - Overall rating of HBR effectiveness 0-100

46. Analysis on Each Behavior • One-Sample t-test (p. 05, 2-tailed) • Compared Group Mean to Score of 3 • All Behaviors Were Significantly Greater than 3 ->Improved • Compared Group Mean to Score of 3.5 • 27 of 67 Increased Significantly (=<.05)

47. Physical-Motor Subscale Postural Control, Balance, Mobility, ROM Psychological – Emotional Subscale Self-Esteem, Self-Confidence, Self-Image 7 Behaviors => Mean of 4.0

48. Self-Care – Independence Behaviors Improved • 4-Subscale Items • Subscale Average 3.3 (Lowest Subscale) • Highest: Taking Care of Self – (3.37) • Lowest: Toileting (3.18) • One-Sample t: No significant improvements

49. Physical-Motor Behaviors Improved • 12 Subscale Items • Subscale Average 3.87 (highest subscale) • Highest: Postural Control (4.25) • Lowest: Decreased Body Complaints • One-Sample t:8 Significant (ROM, strength, mobility, balance, posture, coordination, tone, physical ease) Supports beneficial effects of HBR on physical-motor development

50. Psychological-Emotional Behaviors Improved • 31 Items • Subscale Average 3.58 • Highest: Self-Esteem (4.2) • Lowest: Vandalism (3.1) • One Sample t:9 Significant (Self-Esteem, less stubborn, satisfaction, motivation, self-confidence, self-image, positive attitude, happiness and sense of calm) Supports beneficial effects of HBR on psychological-emotional well-being