The Effectiveness of A Neurophysiotherapy Program In Combination With Intensive Hippotherapy On The Balance of A Person With Asperger's Syndrome

Abstract: Introduction: Asperger's syndrome (AS) is classified as a group of autism spectrum disorders, which are among the so-called pervasive disorders, which can lead to, among other things, developmental disorders of motor coordination and often poorer balance. There are no randomized clinical studies or pilot studies published in the databases as case studies examining the efficacy of neurophysiotherapy on balance in a person with AS. Methods: We performed a case study where we used the mixed methods design, more specifically the convergence model, and investigated the effectiveness of 9-month modern NDT in combination with hippotherapy on improving balance in a person with AS. In the quantitative part of the case study, we performed a retrospective analysis of the quantitative results of functional tests for dynamic and static balance. In the qualitative part of the case study, we conducted a semi-structured interview with a physiotherapist with special knowledge. Results: Based on the analysis of the results of the existing case study using the mixed methods paradigm on a person with AS, we find that the mentioned neurophysiotherapy program is effective in improving the static and dynamic components of balance. Conclusions: Based on the mixed methods, we consequently gained a deeper insight into the subjective experience of the effectiveness of the aforementioned neurophysiotherapy program of a physiotherapist of a person with AS on improvement in the field of activity and cooperation