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....and a loving companion to kids with special needs in Northwest Indiana.  October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. A time, the White House proclaims to recognize the contribution of disabled persons to our economy and recommit to building a country for all.  Bill Stanczykiewicz President and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute says therapy for developmental disabilities in the Hoosier state should begin early.  One particular form of effective therapy for children is really catching on.  Stanczykiewicz says Equine Therapy is a growing trend for families of children with developmental and other disabilities.  He says children with Cerebral Palsy "gain greater strength in terms of their balance" and children with Autism are "strengthening their communication skills, with some of them communicating for the first time after being with the program only a" year or two."   Stanczykiewicz says it's "really remarkable the transformative power that the horses have when serving alongside children with disabilities."  And he adds that currently, there are 25 Equine Therapy Programs active in the state with one center located in Hobart and another in South Bend.  Parents wanting more information to locate other horse therapy centers in the state should visit:  http://www.pathintl.org.  To discover more programs benefiting the healthy development and well-being of all Hoosier children visit:  http://iyi.org/.

                                                                    ( photos:  Path International )

( from http://iyi.org )

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