AHEAD With Horses Therapeutic Vaulting Program

Play Equity to Advance Mental Health (sponsored by the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

There is an increasing number of children diagnosed with autism; now 1 in 36, 1 in 22 for CA. AWH works with children on the autism spectrum, as well as all other types of disabilities, including cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, chromosome disorders, hearing and vision impaired, etc. Many children saw negative effects from the pandemic, and we know that participating in our equine therapeutic vaulting will increase their physical and mental well-being. Everyday we get additional calls/emails from people looking to be added to our program & our wait list grows. Our pandemic health & safety protocols are in place as we move forward & continue to evolve as necessary as we have been able to increase the number of students we see. Our priority is to be as safe as possible for all the children, staff, & volunteers.

AWH has been serving the LA community since 1968 & impacted thousands of lives. We know we can continue to change lives, (of our students, their families, & the volunteers who work with them), as we have seen the results. We have seen our students take their 1st steps, speak their 1st words, learn to control negative behaviors, focus attention, & so much more! This enhances their lives mentally, physically, socially and/or emotionally, as well as impacts their families. AWH's goal for the need we are addressing is to utilize horses to provide motivation, opportunity, and success for children with special needs through developmental therapeutic vaulting; to reach and teach those whose needs are greatest and who have been considered "unreachable and unteachable" and to invest in the futures of these children. AWH takes place outside, where our students & their families can appreciate nature & reap those therapeutic benefits. Each year we have over 300 volunteers participate, which creates a sense of community. Retirees are given a sense of purpose. Middle, High School, & college students complete mandatory community service hours. Exposure to disabled children reduces discrimination & engenders respect for the differences in others & more tolerant attitudes develop. When at our new location, we plan to expand additional programs, such as working with foster children/youth and growing a mental health program.

Once we have moved into our new facility in Lake View Terrace, there will be a permanent base for us to serve the disabled community of Los Angeles, a sector that is often under-represented and over looked. Our services provide hope to so many families that their child will be able to exceed expectations and be able to integrate into society better. It will be our Forever Home where they can come and feel safe, secure, & loved. AWH strives to create a community for all of our students, volunteers, & staff. Many have stayed with the program for decades and considers it their 2nd family. Spending time with the horses improves their mental well-being. Being in a safe space where they are not seen for their disability, but as an individual, increases self-esteem and self-confidence. Having more people who are happy with themselves means they will be kinder to others. We all need a little more kindness and community to connect with others and make our city an even better place to live.

Our program's beneficial impact is that participants will improve physically, mentally, socially &/or emotionally, enabling them to lead more independent, productive, & better lives. Our methodology for evaluation uses measured outcomes that predicts that 90% of participants will demonstrate progress of 25% or more every quarter across multiple domains (motor, communication, cognitive, social, emotional, self-help). Specific outcomes are observable & documented by Instructor, other staff, parents, & care providers. Photos/video will further document acquisition of developmental milestones. Examples: lift head, sit, use hands & arms, move legs, stand, walk, speak or other communication, etc. This makes possible going where you want to go when you want to go there, the ability to feed oneself, going to the bathroom unassisted, focusing attention, following directions, giving someone a hug, or say "I love you" -all critically important to more independent & productive and better lives.