Melody Maximos, OT Reg. (Ont.), Psychotherapist, PhD  is offering: 

-Occupational Therapy Assessments

-Occupational Therapy Screen (new participants who have been previously assessed by an Occupational Therapist)

-Unmounted Occupational Therapy

-Mounted Occupational Therapy (Hippotherapy) 

*For programs involving riding, a medical form is required and is linked in the online store for download. 

 

BOOK CLINICAL SERVICES HERE  

*Our goal is to provide quality services please understand that appointment times are limited. If you must cancel your appointment, we respectfully request a 24hr notice. Please email TrotOn@TEAD.ON.CA
 

Missed appointments, or appointments cancelled without 24hr notice, we will charge the full fee for session.

 

Equine Assisted Occupation Therapy  Overview 

Equine Assisted  Occupation Therapy is a therapeutic approach that incorporates interactions with horses to promote independence in an individuals everyday life. This experiential form of therapy is designed to address a wide range of physical and cognitive needs from stroke, traumatic brain injury to autism, cerebral Palsy, Parkinson’s, and many other cognitive and musculoskeletal need. EAOT is facilitated by licensed registered Occupational Therapist and equine specialists, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for participants.

 

Target Audience

EAOT is suitable for individuals of all ages, including children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. It is particularly beneficial for those experiencing difficulty preforming daily tasks whether self-care, productivity or leisure activities due to trauma or an injury, chronic condition or disability that either has a cognitive, psychological or physical impact. EAOT can help the individual develop the skills and strategies to move through their environment and engage in meaningful activity. 

Therapeutic Goals

The primary goals of EAOT vary based on the physical, psychological, cognitive and social goals of the client but can range from the following:

  • Improving fine motor skills for purpose of dressing, writing, engaging in school and home environment 
  • Improving balance and gross motor skills to improve mobility and safety in home environment 
  • Improving memory, planning or execution of tasks 
  • Working on budgeting and independent living/ life skills for young adults in transition for independent living
  • Maintaining function and navigating chronic pain
  • Enhancing communication and social skills
  • Building trust and empathy
  • Improving strength and endurance to complete functional tasks

Program Structure

Individual OT session that is $160 with each session lasting between 45 with 15 minutes consultation with family or debrief with client regarding strategies to be used in the home and community to support goal attainment. The program structure includes:

  1. Initial Assessment: Participants undergo an initial assessment to identify their therapeutic needs and goals. This assessment helps tailor the EAOT sessions to the individual's specific requirements.
  2. Interactive Sessions: Each session involves structured activities with the horses, such as grooming, leading, and groundwork exercises. These activities are designed to reflect and address the participant's occupational therapy goals
  3. Reflection and transferability: After interacting with the horses, individuals and family engage in discussions with the therapist regarding strategies and transferability of skills and are provided with home exercises as needed. 
  4. Goal Setting and Progress Evaluation: Regular goal-setting and progress evaluations ensure that therapeutic objectives are being met. Adjustments to the treatment plan are made as necessary to optimize outcomes.

Therapeutic Approach

EAOT leverages the intuitive nature of horses, the barn environment and connection with nature to allow individuals to engage in a unique approach to OT services. Key therapeutic approaches used in EAOT include:

  • Experiential Learning: Participants learn through direct experience and reflection, fostering a deeper understanding of their emotional and behavioral responses.
  • Unique environment: Participants can engage with many different environments with a variety of footing textures and lighting such as in the barn, outdoors or on the tails or in the arena which can simulate changes in community environment. 
  • Non-Verbal Communication: Horses respond primarily to non-verbal cues, helping participants become more aware of their body language and emotional states.

Benefits of EAOT 

  • Emotional Insight: Working with horses helps participants gain insight into their emotions and behaviors, promoting self-discovery and emotional healing.
  • Immediate Feedback: Horses provide immediate, honest feedback based on the participant's actions. 
  • Sensory exploration: Participants have an abundance of sensory options and sensory input can be built and modulated based on client needs and goals 
  • Physical benefits: Participants have opportunity to engage different motor groups to improve balance, postural control, fine motor and gross motor in a creative and low stress environment.  
  • Safe and Supportive Environment: The non-judgmental and accepting nature of horses creates a safe space for participants

 

 

 

Hippotherapy Overview

Hippotherapy is a therapeutic modality that utilizes the natural gait and movement of a horse to provide motor, and sensory input. This is a mounted form of therapy provided by an Occupational therapist and/or a speech language pathologist in combination with unmounted therapy to improve goals that are collaboratively set with the healthcare professional, client, family and care team. 

 

Why Use Horses as a modality of Therapy services 

  • The three-dimensional movement of the horses mimics the normal movements of the human pelvis when walking (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_MvYAvYQkk) 
  • The movement of a walking horse produces 100 rhythmic impulses per minute. This encourages the patient to maintain balance and upright posture by repetitively challenging postural reactions and remain sitting on the horse. Thus, improving balance, muscle control, and the development of paraspinal muscles
  • Horses provide sensory input that can be, rhythmic, variable, and repetitive
  • As the child or adult responds to the input, changes in function can occur
  • They serve as a great motivator
  • They are in natural settings

Target Audience

Hippotherapy is suitable for is individuals of all ages, including children, adolescents, and adults. It is particularly beneficial for those experiencing:

  • Genetic Syndromes
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Sensory Processing Difficulties
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Developmental Delay
  • Stroke
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
  • Guillain -Barre
  • Multiple Sclerosis

Hippotherapy Primary goals 

  • Improving emotional regulation, confidence, and mental wellbeing 
  • Cognitive goals of increasing arousal, attention, problem solving and planning 
  • Improving balance, posture, coordination, and body awareness
  • Improving endurance muscle strength and joint mobility
  • Building trust and empathy

Program Structure

Hippotherapy sessions are typically a block of 4  individual therapy sessions either weekly or biweekly and are 60 minutes in duration with a cost of $180 per session . Each lesson consists of 15 minutes unmounted therapeutic modality in clinic related to the child’s goals, 30 minutes mounted programing and 15 minutes of debriefing with parents and discussing transferable strategies.   

The program structure includes:

  1. Initial Assessment: Participants undergo an initial assessment by an OT or SLP to identify their therapeutic needs and goals. This assessment helps tailor the hippotherapy sessions to the individual's specific requirements.
  2. Therapy sessions: Each session involves structured activities both mounted and unmounted based on identified goals..
  3. Reflection and Processing: Post OT/SLP session the therapist will engage with family regarding strategies that can be utilized at home to support therapy goals. 
  4. Goal Setting and Progress Evaluation: Regular goal-setting and progress evaluations ensure that therapeutic objectives are being met. Adjustments to the treatment plan are made as necessary to optimize outcomes.

Conclusion

Hippotherapy offers a unique and effective approach to Occupational and Speech therapy by utilizing horse movement and therapist expertise to provide and fun, immersive and Positive impacts on strength, muscle coordination and tone, and sensory processing used in mobility, speech pace and pronunciation, communication rules and the use of fine motor skills for activities of daily living and general attention to tasks