Why? My Personal Journey:
The Power of the Pony
(originally appeared in the Autism Spectrum and American Hippotherapy Association Magazine)
On August 23, 2001, my daughter, Emma, was diagnosed with Autism. At this point she had lost her ability to speak, her recognition of people, including family members and had slipped away inside herself. I was frozen; I did not know how to reach this child who only screamed to communicate. Immediately I emerged Emma into therapies to help her while I attempted to keep my family together which included my newborn son, Ethan.
Emma made such tiny gains in therapy that my husband and I accepted the fact that Emma may never come out of the isolation of Autism. With acceptance came joy of all the tiny accomplishments that Emma made, including looking at me for a split second.
One day at a hot air balloon festival my
mom noticed they had pony rides for
three dollars. She put Emma on the pony and they started off, Emma
smiled! I was taking pictures and watching my baby when through the viewfinder
I noticed that Emma was signing “more”. I said “Mom, look she is signing
more!” My mom, filled with tears of joy from Emma’s attempt to communicate
asked “more?” and Emma said and signed “more”. It was Emma’s first word in over
a year; needless to say she rode that pony until we ran out of money.
Through my networking within the disabilities community I
was able to find a physical
therapist, Colleen Sullivan, who practiced
Hippo Therapy (therapy on
horse back). Emma’s speech, body control, awareness of self and others, and
academics exploded all because of Kosmic, Colleen’s sweet Welch Pony. Three
years later Emma is speaking in complete sentences, grooming Kosmic, picking his
hooves, leading him into the ring and even cantering.
Since my journey down this unanticipated path I, too, have grown. I quit my job in corporate recruiting to concentrate on Emma and Ethan. Immediately after Emma’s diagnosis I enrolled in graduate degree program in special education, I attended the prestigious NH Leadership Series, as well as numerous courses on Autism and I am a volunteer advocate, secretary of the Autism Society of NH.
I completed my graduate practicum at Horse Power’s instructor training school, elated that I finally found my classroom, the place where I shine. Although I never thought my life would have made such a drastic course change I, along with my parents embrace our new path. Together we want to start this program to help other families succeed like ours has.
Joyce M. Johnson,
M.Ed.
Executive Director
Lead Instructor
Harmony Acres Therapeutic Riding Center