Alicia joined RDA Tall Timbers in 2022. It was something we thought would help in the development of her sensory functions by interacting with animals and improving her speech as she had very limited word capacity upon commencement of the program. Alicia took a particular liking for the horse Tyson and could identify him and his yard number. Initially she would just point at the horses. Gradually she began singing to the horses, enjoying her interactions with Tyson, Nugget and LJ. This has helped with her speech and her ability to share more words.
Alicia is able to follow simple instructions for various activities seated while on the Mechanical horse. Activities that include throwing hoops, hand exercises, catching and throwing a ball, pegs onto flags and cross body transfers. As a result, her hand-eye co-ordination has improved. During her time at Tall Timbers Alicia has learnt to mount and dismount the mechanical horse (Mac), feed the horses, brush them, wear her boots and helmet and put them back in place, post session. Alicia’s time at Tall Timbers has helped to improve her core strength, speech and her ability to interact with the horses, Coaches & Volunteers.
We are thankful to the RDA staff for their sincere and hard work in helping Alicia improve her abilities in the above areas. She looks forward to being with the horses with enthusiasm.
