ABSTRACT
The group was receiving eight full-day sessions of equine-assisted play therapy and social learning. The use of metaphor, which can be very effectively with other populations in equine-assisted therapy (EAT), can be ineffective for teenagers and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). If clients with ASD can learn to "speak horse," then they can transfer this insight to humans. In Animal-Assisted Play Therapy, the therapist invites clients to notice the subtler nuances of the horses' body language, starting with the ears and moving onto other parts of the body. In a traditional room-based play therapy session, many clients with ASD would never immerse their hands and elbows in warm soapy water. Most clients are unused to washing horses and there is a great danger of them accidently getting soap in the horse's eyes, ears, or up their nostrils. Clients with ASD tend to have sensory issues and struggle with unfamiliar sensations.
