Talented children. Andrea, who has severe autism, is “awakened” by horses: has changed beyond recognition in four months | Lifetime



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The girl cannot boast of special artistic or other abilities. It remains a challenge for her to adjust to a simple everyday life. However, his talent is special, even in such difficult circumstances to hold on to life, grow his inner spine, and quickly pursue the time that has slowed down his development.

The girl lived in her own world

“The whole pregnancy was very difficult, but with the help of the doctors I managed to get the daughter out, although she was still born a little earlier. Everything was fine at first, but at four months she refused to eat (I was breastfeeding her myself) and she started not sleeping at night. It was a very difficult time. There was a girl of a similar age in the family at the time, Andrew’s cousin, we had something to compare ourselves to, so we saw that something was wrong.

The first year he had to spend a lot of time in hospitals because his body became dehydrated from not eating. No other disorders were found for us. However, when she was growing up, I could no longer deal with her; She didn’t listen at all, she shut herself in, pulled away and did something herself, didn’t make eye contact. Toys were picked up but not used for their intended purpose.

Personal Album Photo / Andrew

Personal Album Photo / Andrew

For example, markers or other drawing tools were placed on the tower instead of drawing, the toys were lined up instead of playing with them. She had started to speak, but at one point her language development stopped and she finally stopped speaking altogether. We were going to go to kindergarten, so I was scared of how the staff would handle it, ”Victoria said.

The woman revealed that she had survived a lot because of her daughter and thought she was a bad mother or something wrong with the girl. Therefore, he turned to psychologists and the first psychologist noticed the signs of autism and recommended to be examined. The visit to the Child Development Center had to wait about eight months, the autism spectrum syndrome was finally confirmed and the family received recommendations on how to live with such a child.

“Initially, we tried to restore the girl’s normal weight and we also began to develop her language with specialists. Gradually, she grew, she improved, but that growth was not constant: it was progress, it was regression. Therefore, the result was not satisfactory and she will have to go to school next fall. So she was constantly looking for someone who could help her, “said the interviewee.

The horse opened the girl’s heart

In the fall, Andrea tried dance lessons, but these activities did not “stick” to her: the girl did not like to do what she was told, she wanted to do her own activities.

Personal Album Photo / Andrew

Personal Album Photo / Andrew

“Then I saw an advertisement that invited to take riding lessons. We went to see how things were going, how the horses themselves looked, because we live in the city and we haven’t seen them. At first my daughter was scared, more interested in jumping on the dirt than horses, but eventually I got her on a horse and we turned a couple of wheels. And she liked it! Therefore, we decided to attend individual hippotherapy classes (therapeutic riding – education), which we have been successfully attending so far. The girl has changed so much in four months that compared to what she was before, I would not even say that she has a disorder.

The mother is very happy with her daughter’s independence when she is with her horse.

In the past, he only ate foods of a certain color and consistency, and now he tries a variety of foods, without fear of innovation. In kindergarten, together with all the children, they perform common tasks, which are very important in preparing for school, and which they use to distance themselves and participate in their own creations. Your communication has changed a lot.

During this time we have become very close. We spend more time together, we have something to talk about, she has more questions because she wants to know everything about horses. What combs do they need to comb, what color are they, how does their hair grow, how to take care of them, how long can a horse be ridden, what food should it be given, “said Victoria.

The mother is also very happy with her daughter’s independence when she is with her horse. During hippotherapy, the horse must first comb its hair before riding. The girl finds the necessary tools for it. After riding, the horse feeds itself. It is often said that autistics don’t know how to empathize, but one woman believes that Andrew feels an extremely strong connection to the horse, encouraging her to grow and improve.

“I have never seen her before. And the kindergarten staff confirmed that they see a very strong change, they just don’t recognize the child. Another miracle of these activities is that he started to progress speaking. He has been cared for by professionals on a regular basis, but in the past progress has been very small and now there has been a big leap.

Therefore, I want to encourage other mothers who are raising children with autism syndrome not to give up, not to underestimate their child or themselves, but to seek what is good for them and what they like. When you search, you discover, and that activity within the child himself opens up unexpected opportunities that allow him to begin to grow. We really tried hard, sometimes our hands slipped, but we never lost hope, “said the interlocutor.

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