Dear Readers:

For this July, 2004 installment, let's first reflect on the past year for a moment...if you're visiting this web page you are interested in adapted physical education. The Adapted Physical Education National Standards (APENS) exam was given at many sites across the country last month (June 5th). Mark your calendars for NOW for June 4th, 2005 for the national exam (given at a site near you...just visit the website for details on sites AND establishing a site in YOUR district!). Also, the APENS exam is given each year at the AAHPERD conference. The application fee for the exam is $100. Check out the website at www.cortland.edu/APENS Become a Certified Adapted Physical Educator (i.e., a CAPE!). Let's get at least one CAPE in every school district...YOU can be that CAPE!

Second, this issue contains Part 3 of the the 3 part article titled: "Finding the Needed Resources to Establish or Enhance your Program: Part 3 - Transportation, Publicity and Additional Resources." (Part One, published in November 2003, covered suggestions for securing needed funds and personnel. Part Two, published in March, 2004 covered equipment and facilities).

Third, in keeping with the relections on the year theme for this month; third part of this installment will take a look at a year in the life of a young lady with traumatic brain injury and how adapted physical activities have helped her improve over the year...indeed, what a difference we can make with adapted physical activities like this exercise idea, and what a difference a year makes, overall!

Finally, we wish our readers a very happy, healthy, and enjoyable
summer!

Chris Stopka
Adapted Section Editor

Hippotherapy: Reflections over the past year of benefits gained by a young adult with… Traumatic Brain Injury
By, Kellie Rosslow and Christine Stopka

On August 13, 2001 life changed drastically for Sarah Kane, a first year teacher on her way home from work. A driver had missed a red light and smashed into the driver's side of Sarah's car. The driver of the other car was saved from significant injury due to the protection of a front end airbag. But with no side airbags, Sarah was not as fortunate; indeed, she was lucky to be alive. Sarah had suffered a fracture around her right eye, a broken collarbone, a broken pelvis, and a broken leg. She also suffered a collapsed lung. But, the worst part was the injury to her brain, which was severely injured on the left side and in the back. Sarah suffered what is termed Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Traumatic Brain Injury is defined as the rapid acceleration and deceleration of the brain, including shearing of nerve fibers, contusion of the brain tissue against the skull, brain stem injuries, and edema.

For Sarah, nothing worked like it was supposed to, she spent four months in the hospital and a rehabilitation center. Before the accident, Sarah was as runner, former cheerleader, and she loved to swing dance. Now she longed just to be able to walk! After being released from the hospital and rehabilitation center she began attending physical therapy three times a week. Two years later, by July 2003, the steady progress had seemed to plateau. She and her family were starting to believe that this was probably going to be how things were pretty much going to be.

Then, a month later, Sarah learned of something called "Hippotherapy." No, it was not physical therapy for hippopotami, as many may think upon first hearing the name. Actually, "hippo" means horse, and Hippotherapy is physical therapy using the horse (or ponies, for the convenience of reaching and spotting), as a "tool" or a "medium" for the physical therapy (like water is used for physical therapy in the water, called aqua-therapy…the horse is used to enhance the rider's physical therapy).

So, in the Fall of 2003, Sarah began Hippotherapy. This therapy uses the multi-dimensional movements of the horse and works to improve neurological function and sensory processing. As just one example, when the horse walks, the movement of the horse's pelvis moves the rider's pelvis in exactly the same way the rider's pelvis should move if the person were walking independently on land. Muscles get worked and re-educated, flexibility and coordination are improved, and endurance and balance are enhanced.

Indeed, on Sarah's first day, she arrived very dependent upon her wheelchair. Her speech was extremely hard to understand, and she was incredibly depressed. While being fully supported by the physical therapist, Sarah stumbled toward the horse. The horse's movement was used to evaluate Sarah's balance. Sarah barely had any balance; she was swaying all over the place, and with her energies devoted to surviving this, she was certainly not able to communicate verbally while on the horse. Clearly, Sarah's session was not long…the work of trying to maintain her balance, activation of old muscles, and trying to talk…all took a toll on her.

However, during the following weeks, Sarah began showing improvements at each of her sessions. As a matter of fact, for her second session, she arrived at the barn not in her wheelchair, but walking with her walker. Her balance was steadily improving and slowly her ability to talk while on the horse improved. By Sarah's third week of therapy she had shed her walker and was walking only with a therapy belt. Her riding balance had also improved; she was not requiring the support of her hands throughout her session. Her depression was disappearing; she was beginning to smile and laugh again. Sarah was showing steady improvement, however, as can be expected, she still had her good and her bad days.

By March, 2004, about six months later, Sarah did not look or sound like the same person. Not only is Sarah frequently walking now with only minimal assistance, her speech is much more clear…people other than family and close friends are able to understand her now. She is able to eat with utensils-which is something that she hadn't been able to do since her accident. Sarah's biggest challenge in the beginning was balance, and Hippotherapy, with its effect on trunk stability, has resulted in balance function being her most improved domain. And with so many other functions, including fine motor tasks, dependent upon balance, Sarah has seen considerable improvements in all aspects of her activities of daily living, that is, her life. Sarah now has much more control over all of her motor functions. At Sarah's last session before the summer break, she was riding the horse with her hands out to the side, requiring no support from her hands for balance and strength…indeed, her trunk was stable and strong. As for her mental health, it had drastically improved; her family will be the first to say that she is back to her normal "spunky self."

People with traumatic brain injury, like Sarah, are showing improvements in many areas of their life-physically, mentally, and emotionally-because of Hippotherapy. Though Sarah would have never chosen to have a disability, she would not trade her time with her horse for anything. And with a little help from a four footed friend…what a difference a year can make!

Note to the reader: In previous issues, topics such as finding the needed personnel, financial assistance, equipment, and facilities were discussed. Part Three (below) covers transportation, publicity and additional resources for help.

"Finding the Needed Resources to Establish or Enhance your Program: Part 3 - Transportation, Publicity and Additional Resources."

Transportation
Transportation problems can often be the principal cause for a program's demise. However, with a little creativity and persistence, these challenges can be overcome.

-Federal Laws. Sometimes the need to provide a special program can be tied to federal laws, thus opening up a funding source for your program. For example, students' ITP's (Individual Transition Plans) may call for your students (aged 13-22) to engage in inclusive physical education settings with similar aged peers. Bus trips, eg., twice per week, to the local university, for these secondary level students to participate a physical education program with local university students can be justified. IDEA content areas of physical and motor fitness, aquatics, and lifetime sports and games can all be carried out in this inclusive setting. As an example, the University of Florida has had such a joint program operating every year since 1988; many colleges and universities have similar programs. Since these types of programs and content areas are mandated, monies from district and state coffers are often available to supplement or replace monies that would have had to otherwise come from the school itself.

-corporate partnerships. Sometimes local businesses can help come up with bus fees, or perhaps donate a new or used van or bus, for the transportation needs. This is a fairly common practice with local YMCAs and Boys and Girls' Clubs. Many schools, especially those with students with special needs, could benefit enormously from an individual or business that could afford this philanthropic gesture.

-parent/retiree/volunteer drivers. Sometimes a vehicle is available, but qualified drivers are in short supply. Communicate to parents, retirees, senior citizens, part-time university students, and other volunteers (with enough available time) that this is a need. Help them register for the appropriate drivers' license testing, and any other needed training to become certified and eligible to help out.

Fund raising. See Part One of this series. Funds can be raised in a variety of ways. Some of these funds can go toward transportation costs and fees.

-walking. Sometimes the target facility is in walking distance. In this case, volunteers would be needed to help push wheelchairs and provide enough supervision for safety; but the walk to the local park, etc., is an excellent way to gain more fitness, learn to safely cross streets, enjoy relaxed conversation and social interaction, and more.

Publicity
Obtaining enough quality publicity for your program is essential. The community becomes aware of the importance of your program, and potential donors become aware of the financial needs. Fund raising, personnel assistance, equipment, facilities, and transportation needs can all be enhanced with good publicity. The following is a list of avenues to consider to assist in this regard.
- newspaper stories and newspaper ads for assistance
- radio and T.V. coverage as well as public service ads for assistance
- program newsletters
- recorded messages to update callers on program news and them of current needs
- Internet support-an updated website can let folks know what's happening and also what is needed in the form of funds, personnel, equipment, facilities, transportation costs, and more.
- Kiosks, bulletin boards, and other legal advertisement surfaces to communicate program events and needs.

Resources for Assistance
Acknowledge that if your program is run for a good cause, you are never alone. People want to help; they just need to know a need exists. In addition to consulting books, articles, and the internet for methods in which similar programs secure the resources they need to operate…remember to communicate these needs clearly to multiple organizations, all of whom can become invaluable resources for your program. Some examples of such organizations are:
-local businesses
-local colleges and universities
-local, or school based, service organizations
-local retirees and other volunteers.