Panasonic developed a “Core Muscle Trainer” to serve as a no impact, strength training device in the home. They already have received endorsement From the American Diabetic Society as a way for elderly (and usually overweight and sedentary) diabetic patients to raise their level of fitness in an easy and motivating way.
We have now been asked to study and quantify how it could be of value to children and young adults on the autism spectrum. Many children with autism enjoy the benefits of Hippo-therapy, however there are several challenges associated with horse riding. The first one relates to be odors in a barn with the children typically ride in the winter. Another set of issues relate to the high cost and safety issues in finding an appropriate horse for each child. Even then there is the concern of the horse being “spooked” and putting the child in a terrifying and possibly dangerous situation.
All of these issues are negated, while all the benefits remain with an electric horse.
Over the next few months we will be trialing these fun devices with the families that we serve. Specifically these horses will be made available to families for a three-month period at no charge. The only requirement is that the family fill out a questionnaire and maintain a log of the amount of time the child spends on the horse.
The first family has already been selected, so please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to participate in this fun experience.
– Steve Kaufman, AHSS Founder and CTO
