Inside this issue: Board Chairman & Executive Director Message
High Hopes and Lawrence & Memorial Hospital
Spotlight Success
A Collaboration
■
On
Ride Towards Independence
Ways to Give ■
New Board Members List ■ EssexSavings Bank ■ Sis's Trail of Hope ■ Wish
The Spirit of Giving ■
Volunteers Making it Possible ■ Barbara Kashanski
From the Horse's Mouth ■
Horse of the Year... Greco
High Hopes Happenings ■
Internationa l ITC Symphony in the Meadows 2010 ■ Upcoming Open House ■ Horse Show Days ■
In accordan ce with the Americans with Disabilit ies Act , The High Hopes Rider is available in alternati ve formats upon request . Please contact Wendy Knight at Ext. 19.
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HIGH
HOP E S
Ther apeutic Riding .Inc. Phone: 860.434. 1974 Fax: 860 .434.3723
www .highhopestr .org
Winter / Spring 201 O
ne of the most exciting new adventures for us during the past year has been deve lopi ng and expanding our relationship with Lawrence and Memorial Hospital. For many years, High Hopes has been interested in forming collaborative relationships with the medical community. While those of us who see the day to day changes in our participants can truly appreciate the immense value of therapeutic riding, there needs to be additional research and corroboration from medi cal and educational professionals to further va lidate the service. Thanks to a visionary meeting made possible by Chet Kitchings, who has strong connections with both L & Mand High Hopes, we have begun to see the possibilities of a collaborative relationship.
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The ideas and energy from the staff of L & M, from CEO, Bruce Cummings and Administrative Director, Max Gorski, to practitioners in PT,OT, Speech ' and Audiology, have been stimulating and rewarding. In June of 2009, we conducted a week long intensive Autism Immersion mini-camp. Children with autism between the ages of five and eleven experienced not onl y therapeutic r iding but a wide array of therapy services provided by medical professionals from L & M. Conducting this at High Hopes permitted us to provide a var iety of traditional therapies in a non-traditional sett ing. We met as a planning group we ll in advance of the first class. Staff from both L & M and High Hopes assessedparticipants and created goals fo r each individual. This one week morn ing camp was held for eight children between the ages of five and eleven . The pediatric rehab team from L&M, consistin g of a physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech/language pathologist and two audiologists, partnered with High Hopes instructors to develop activities focused around the horse environment. Daily activities included mounted and unmounted work. Unmounted work included walks on the sensory trail, grooming, barn chores, music and other activities designed to provide physical, cognit ive, sensory and social stimulation. Changes were noted in several of the participants after just two days. Work ing together, we plan to offer a similar immersion camp again in June of 2010. L & M Hospital is a vital member of the Eastern Connecticut community and, as such, offers invaluable educat ional programs for fami lies and profess ionals. We are in the early planning phase for a Symposium on Autism to be offered in the Fall of 2010. Our collaborati on is a natural fit, as both Hig h Hopes and L & M staff see some of the same clients. High Hopes is also very fortunate and grateful to L & M for their support of our work through their sponsorship programs . For the past few years, L & M has been a lead sponsor for both of our major annual benefits. We are pleased to be partners w ith a health care facility that is proactively engaged in its COl'T)munity.Working together, combining our resources and energy, will help to enhance the outcomes for the many ind ividuals whom we both serve.