Blog 18: Third Answer

EQ: How can Hippotherapy best help a child with a developmental disorder reach a normal walking pattern?

Answer 3: Hippotherapy can best help a child reach normal walking pattern if it is used in conjunction with standard physical therapy.

Details:
    Firstly, Hippotherapy sessions are irregular, and short. Two thirty-minute sessions per week, is all.

    Hippotherapy's benefits tend to be lost if effort at habilitation ends at the same time the Hippotherapy ends. Continuing therapy is essential for the child to thrive.

    Treating a child with standard physical therapy in conjunction with Hippotherapy has been proven to be effective, shown by multiple cases from Leaps and Bounds.

Source: Mentorship, http://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993%2807%2901284-1/fulltext#sec2.2.2

Overall, Hippotherapy does work wonders, but cannot carry a child's development on its own.

Blog 10: Senior Project: The Holiday

1. I continued to research Cerebral Palsy and Hippotherapy in order to further my Independent Component.
2. I got a lot of information from studies that I'd already researched, compiling the data.
3. I would talk to another one of the physical/occupational therapists working at Leaps and Bounds, considering that they primarily treat cerebral palsy.

Blog 9: EQ

1. I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.
2.
    a. This question follows the rule of three because it allows for in-depth research in finding healthy weight-loss methods. It takes the stance on the issue of weight-loss, to find healthier methods, and the question makes sense.
    b. This question follows the rules, because it is open to research, takes a stance on convicting criminals, and is worded properly.
    c. This EQ is largely specific to a client, and not very open to research.
    d. This EQ doesn't seem to make sense, since an Anesthesiologist's job isn't to treat chronic pain, usually. That would be more the doctor's job, to prescribe medicine.

3. "What is the most important thing a Hippotherapist can do to help build a child's core strength?"

Blog 8: Research and Working EQ

1: How can Hippotherapy best help a child build core strength?
2: By re-training the child's movement ability, through the horse's movements, in order to achieve a better walk.
3: My research. More specifically, the case studies provided through the CalPoly Library system.
4: Dr. Cassandra Sanders-Holly, at Leaps and Bounds Pediatric Care Center, in Norco. I'm sidewalking in the hippotherapy process, and helping set up and clean up during the day.

Extra Blog 2: September

Extra Blog 2: Library vs. Google

 When we were going to the library, I had extreme doubts that it could help me out, mostly because I'd forgotten how expansive the online catalog is. Researching my topic on Google had been hard enough, and I very much doubted any books had been written on Hippotherapy by itself. I was hoping to look through some physical therapy books and find minor articles on the subject. I'm just glad I was wrong about the database, since I was right about a lack of books.

  I've found plenty of scholarly articles and lab reports to cite and work with, I don't think I'll need to use Google again. Though I may have to turn to another database at some point, this one will most likely work for the rest of the year. Frankly, I'm most glad about the library trip because I was out of sources from Google.

Blog 5: Project Reflection and Working EQ

1) I've learned of many success stories, and that the topic I'm studying has a real impact on people.

2) My AETNA Policy Bulletin has been particularly helpful, as it shows the most concrete evidence of the usefulness of Hippotherapy, and showed me that I need to be looking for more case studies.

3) So far, I've been able to get research fairly easily, and it definitely backs up what I see in my volunteering.

4) It's been hard to schedule days to go and volunteer, now that school's started. Though my dad's schedule is changing, so I'll be back at the ranch soon, and by November I'll be driving, myself.

5) -"What is the most important thing Hippotherapy can offer a child in need?"
    - I plan on continuing to go to Leaps and Bounds, and perhaps signing on under the other instructors there, since they all have odd schedules, and won't always be there on the same days.

Extra Blog 1: Hippotherapy as a Treatment

   As I'm doing my research, I tend to find conflicting reports from different organizations, such as Aetna and Apta, talking about the legitimacy of hippotherapy. While there is relatively little evidence to support any claims made about hippotherapy, Apta recognizes it as a form of supplementary treatment, saying that alongside other physical therapy methods, it performs beneficially to the patients. Aetna, however, calls for more research before they publish any official recommendation on the practice. In my opinion, Aetna and others like them simply don't want to go out and get their hands dirty in the practice, while others at Apta and similar organizations have seen the real applications of hippotherapy in the field of physical therapy.