Hippotherapy Facilitates Use of an Augmentative Communication Device A Case Study 2004

In order to determine whether hippotherapy facilitates spontaneous communication in a young adult with a severe traumatic brain injury, the number of communication initiations was recorded during a baseline phase, traditional treatment, hippotherapy, and generalization phase. Results indicated that the participant initiated communication using picture cards 0% of opportunities during baseline and traditional treatment, 60% of opportunities during hippotherapy, and 39% during generalization. It is possible that hippotherapy stimulates the attentional systems of the body resulting in increased desire and motivation to communicate.