Influence of therapeutic horseback riding on social development of children with developmental disabilities

Terapijsko jahanje i socijalni razvoj djece s teškoćama u razvoju rezultat je studentskih aktivnosti i istraživačkih projekata koje su ostvarili u udrugama za terapijsko jahanje „Mogu“ i „Idem“. Za potrebe ovog rada izdvojeni su, obrađeni i prikazani samo oni rezultati istraživanja koji se odnose na učinke terapijskog jahanja na socijalni razvoj djece. Cilj je ovog rada ispitati utjecaj terapijskog jahanja na socijalni razvoj djece, usporenog kognitivnog razvoja, u dobi od 7 do 8 godina (N=6), integriranih u redovne škole po prilagođenom programu, uzimajući u obzir prosudbe i mišljenja roditelja (N=40) i volontera (N=26). U tu svrhu, kroz igru s djetetom, inicijalno (prije uključivanja u terapijsko jahanje) i finalno (nakon završetka tromjesečnog ciklusa terapijskog jahanja) proveden je Test nedovršenih rečenica. Odgovori djeteta su bodovani, a obuhvatili su odnos djeteta prema sebi i svom okružju, roditeljima, učiteljima, školi i vršnjacima. Primjenom neparametrijske statistike (test predznaka) mjerio se trend socijalnog razvoja uključene djece na svim varijablama istraživanja (pozitivan, negativan, neutralan) te hi-kvadrat testom ispitala značajnost razlika u prosudbama roditelja i volontera o učincima terapijskog jahanja na socijalni razvoj djece i kvalitetu prilagodbe. Rezultati istraživanja na individualnoj i grupnoj razini su pokazali da uključena djece nakon terapijskog jahanja pokazuju znatan napredak u ispitanim odrednicama socijalnog razvoja ,što potvrđuju i rezultati provedenog upitnika među roditeljima i volonterima.Therapeutic riding and social development of children with disabilities is the result of student activities and their research projects are realized in organizations for therapeutic riding” Mogu” and “Idem”. For the purpose of this work have been identified, analyzed and presented only those research results relating to the effects of therapeutic riding on the social development of children. The aim of this paper is to examine the influence of therapeutic horseback riding on social development of 7 to 8 year old children with delayed cognitive development (N=6), who were integrated into regular schools, but had an adapted programme, having regard to the judgment and opinions of parents (N = 40) and volunteers (N = 26). For this purpose, the Test of unfinished sentences was conducted with children through play initially (before starting therapeutic horseback riding) and finally (after finishing a three-month cycle of therapeutic horseback riding). Children’s answers were scored, and they entailed the relationship of the child with him/herself and his/her environment, parents, teachers, school and peers. By using non-parametric statistics (sign test) to measure the trend of social development of children involved in all research variables (positive, negative, neutral) and chi-square test the significance of differences in the judgments of parents and volunteers on the effects of therapeutic riding on social development and the quality adjustment of children. Results of research at the individual level showed that involved children after therapeutic riding show a significant improvement in the tested determinants of social development, as evidenced results of a conducted questionnaire amongst parents and volunteers