The specialists of the Feldman Ecopark Centre for Psychosocial Rehabilitation continue to give lessons to the children with visual impairment from V.G. Korolenko Kharkiv Regional Educational Complex.
This time, the animal-assisted therapy lessons for the junior school children took place in the Social and Humanitarian Multi-Complex.
A special excursion along Feldman Ecopark was arranged, during which the specialists more than usually told about the animals in the enclosures, and let children hear how the animals “speak.” Children were able to become acquainted with some of the animals in the pet zoo by stroking and feeding piglets, little goats and sheep.
After the excursion, children had a long-awaited meeting with the old friends from their “Kindness Lessons.” The canis-therapy lessons were attended by Luna, the Alaskan Malamute, and Polly, the Golden Retriever. And they also found new friends – donkeys and ponies – during the induction session of equine-assisted therapy.
The head of the psychological service of the Centre Tetiana Aliieva told that the equine-assisted therapy lessons for this category of children is a new experience, however, they already bring positive results.
“Not all children are ready to ride immediately. However, the induction groups have better effect than the individual lessons, because the team spirit arises and children inspire each other with activity: it helps overcome doubts. When the visual information channel is absent or it is used partially, the children’s walk changes and it may differ from the common one significantly. For a child to move, he/she must feel confidence. And a horse, in this case, is an element, which provides these children with the feeling of moving forward at a significant speed. Horses have a big step in comparison with adult people, and especially children. And this rhythmic oscillation, wide step forward allows children to feel fast, steady and calm movement, to relax and to feel confidence. For children with visual impairment, it is a huge feeling,” Tetiana Aliieva emphasized.
It should be reminded that this year, Feldman Ecopark launched the Kindness Lessons. It is a project of the Centre for Psychosocial Rehabilitation and the Centre for Wild, Exotic and Domestic Animals Rescue “Good Home” which is carried out in form of field lessons using canis-therapy in special children’s institutions.
