Re: Walking and Absent Semicircular Canals - Hippotherapy

[Guest guest]

Our daughter is 2 1/2 and is missing her semicircular canals, too. We've

been told by her ENT specialist that she will eventually walk--her brain and

other parts of her ear will learn to compensate. She sat up independently at 12

months, crawled at 20 months, and has been pulling up and cruising since about

23 months, but still doesn't have the balance to stand independently yet. It's

coming, though!

We can tell that still has balance problems sometimes even when she's just

sitting and playing. A quick turn or look up can send her straight on her back!

She also has hypotonia (low muscle tone) in her trunk, which has greatly

improved with physical therapy, but I imagine still further impacts the balance

issues.

We've read where hippotherapy (therapeutic horseback riding)can really help kids

with hypotonia and balance problems. Has anyone else on the list tried this

with their kids? We've signed up for our first class beginning 9/20, but we

have to go for an eval first to make sure qualifies and will be a willing

participant. Our biggest challenge will be getting her to wear the helmet! She

has NEVER wanted to wear any type of hat on her head--we think maybe due to

several facial surgeries she's had related to her cleft lip/palate. We're

trying to work with her now with a bike helmet at home, but not much luck so

far! :-)

--

Kauffman - mother to (2 1/2) and wife to Arlin

[Guest guest]

Our daughter is 2 1/2 and is missing her semicircular canals, too. We've

been told by her ENT specialist that she will eventually walk--her brain and

other parts of her ear will learn to compensate. She sat up independently at 12

months, crawled at 20 months, and has been pulling up and cruising since about

23 months, but still doesn't have the balance to stand independently yet. It's

coming, though!

We can tell that still has balance problems sometimes even when she's just

sitting and playing. A quick turn or look up can send her straight on her back!

She also has hypotonia (low muscle tone) in her trunk, which has greatly

improved with physical therapy, but I imagine still further impacts the balance

issues.

We've read where hippotherapy (therapeutic horseback riding)can really help kids

with hypotonia and balance problems. Has anyone else on the list tried this

with their kids? We've signed up for our first class beginning 9/20, but we

have to go for an eval first to make sure qualifies and will be a willing

participant. Our biggest challenge will be getting her to wear the helmet! She

has NEVER wanted to wear any type of hat on her head--we think maybe due to

several facial surgeries she's had related to her cleft lip/palate. We're

trying to work with her now with a bike helmet at home, but not much luck so

far! :-)

--

Kauffman - mother to (2 1/2) and wife to Arlin

[Guest guest]

-

We have done hippotherapy every summer since Aubrie was little. In our

county, there is a volunteer group that provides the therapy for free

for 8 weeks in the summer. Otherwise, it is unavailable. I can't say

for sure if it's helped Aubrie, but I would certainly think it has.

If is unaccepting at first, ask to be enrolled anyway and take her

regardless of if she wears the helmet and rides. When Aubrie was 2 or

so, we began going. I let her pet the horses, she played with the

leather straps, saddles, and the helmets, she met the other kids, etc.

We took advantage of every sensory opportunity there. When it was her

turn to ride, she'd freak. We began by first sitting her on the

saddle. She'd freak if the horse swished it's tail. So we didn't

move. Soon we tried having the horse move one step. Then more than

that. She'd cry and fuss out of fear, but we'd hold her steady, let her

know it was ok, and continue anyway. If anything " scary " happened, we

kept her on for a minute longer to be sure that her last moment on the

horse was fine. Soon she was eager to ride. This year, she was the

demonstration kid to show new volunteers how to assist. She's an

awesome cowgirl now. If I'd let her early fears stop us, she'd never

have developed a love for it.

Good luck!

Michele W

Aubrie's mom 6 yrs

[Guest guest]

-

We have done hippotherapy every summer since Aubrie was little. In our

county, there is a volunteer group that provides the therapy for free

for 8 weeks in the summer. Otherwise, it is unavailable. I can't say

for sure if it's helped Aubrie, but I would certainly think it has.

If is unaccepting at first, ask to be enrolled anyway and take her

regardless of if she wears the helmet and rides. When Aubrie was 2 or

so, we began going. I let her pet the horses, she played with the

leather straps, saddles, and the helmets, she met the other kids, etc.

We took advantage of every sensory opportunity there. When it was her

turn to ride, she'd freak. We began by first sitting her on the

saddle. She'd freak if the horse swished it's tail. So we didn't

move. Soon we tried having the horse move one step. Then more than

that. She'd cry and fuss out of fear, but we'd hold her steady, let her

know it was ok, and continue anyway. If anything " scary " happened, we

kept her on for a minute longer to be sure that her last moment on the

horse was fine. Soon she was eager to ride. This year, she was the

demonstration kid to show new volunteers how to assist. She's an

awesome cowgirl now. If I'd let her early fears stop us, she'd never

have developed a love for it.

Good luck!

Michele W

Aubrie's mom 6 yrs

[Guest guest]

-

We have done hippotherapy every summer since Aubrie was little. In our

county, there is a volunteer group that provides the therapy for free

for 8 weeks in the summer. Otherwise, it is unavailable. I can't say

for sure if it's helped Aubrie, but I would certainly think it has.

If is unaccepting at first, ask to be enrolled anyway and take her

regardless of if she wears the helmet and rides. When Aubrie was 2 or

so, we began going. I let her pet the horses, she played with the

leather straps, saddles, and the helmets, she met the other kids, etc.

We took advantage of every sensory opportunity there. When it was her

turn to ride, she'd freak. We began by first sitting her on the

saddle. She'd freak if the horse swished it's tail. So we didn't

move. Soon we tried having the horse move one step. Then more than

that. She'd cry and fuss out of fear, but we'd hold her steady, let her

know it was ok, and continue anyway. If anything " scary " happened, we

kept her on for a minute longer to be sure that her last moment on the

horse was fine. Soon she was eager to ride. This year, she was the

demonstration kid to show new volunteers how to assist. She's an

awesome cowgirl now. If I'd let her early fears stop us, she'd never

have developed a love for it.

Good luck!

Michele W

Aubrie's mom 6 yrs