A Harrogate district autism charity is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Autism Angels hosts sessions for autistic children and their families at Throstle Nest Farm near Summerbridge.
The charity offers horse-riding therapy sessions along with kids’ clubs and day camps.
Sarah Kekoa, who founded the charity in 2012, said she believed that the charity had led to “breakthroughs” with children’s experiences.
Ms Kekoa added that they took a positive approach which was not always present in everyday life:
“A lot of people project on to them that they can’t do [things] and we don’t believe that. We believe they can do. It’s just how.”
The charity aims to teach life skills such as teamwork, kindness and feeling able to speak up.
It also uses the occasional unpredictability of the horses to help children address their fears and anxieties.
The organisation also works as a space for the parents to come together to talk about their experiences and share their advice.
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For Ms Kekoa, the last decade has brought “breakthroughs” in terms of helping children.
However, she stressed, the end outcome was not the same for every child. She said:
“We had children coming last week who weren’t even in school and are now going back to school now in September… The aim isn’t always to get them back into school, but the aim is to always to keep their mental health and wellbeing a priority.”
To celebrate the anniversary, Autism Angels is hosting a party for those involved in the charity this weekend.
In April, some of the families undertook a 150-mile journey coast-to-coast journey and raised more than £10,000.
Sarah Kekoa founded the Autism Angels charity in 2012 (photo: Autism Angels)
Time with “the Horse Whisperer”
Ms Kekoa was inspired to start the riding therapy after spending time with American horse trainer Monty Roberts, who is known as “the Horse Whisperer” in the United States.
She noticed similarities between the non-verbal communication methods of the horses and autistic children. She said:
“It’s the way that they move and behave which tells their story.”