To understand Horse Boy Learning you need to first understand how two hormones, oxytocin and cortisol, affect a child with autism’s ability to learn.

Cortisol is the stress hormone.

It is released by the amygdala and produces the flight or fight response.Cortisol is necessary for us to function successfully. It is what allows us to escape from or fight a threat and stay safe.

However, it is also likely to impair our ability to receive and retain new information.

In contrast oxytocin is the feel-good or pleasure hormone.

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A Horse Boy Learning environment should be set up to increase oxytocin and decrease cortisol production. This can be done by keeping sensory triggers to an absolute minimum.

Loud noises, fluorescent lights and large crowds should all be avoided.

If you stop the white noise it allows the child’s intellect to come to the fore.

The best way to do this is take the child out into nature away from man-made stimuli. Even the busiest cities often have beautiful parks so wherever you live it is always possible to access nature.

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People on the autism spectrum often get misinformation through their nervous system.

This can make their clothing feel like a ten-tonne weight or the light breeze from a fan feel like a gale-force wind.

When this happens it generally leads to panic, meltdown and the production of cortisol.

A huge part of calming a child’s overactive sensory system is to get them into the right environment, in nature, away from man-made stimuli and most importantly the overhead fluorescent strip lights found in most classrooms.

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People on the autism spectrum often learn best kinetically which means that they need to be moving in order to be able to take in new information.

Kinetic learners can and will sit at a desk but if they are required to do that all they will learn is how to sit at a desk.

If a child with autism is allowed to move their body then their mind is free to learn.

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Neuro-typical adults are able to focus their attention on one task for up to twenty minutes at a time.

The majority of adults are able to increase this by constantly refocusing on the same task.

However, research shows that overtime this can lead to depression, anxiety and stress.

Why then do we expect our children to sit still at a desk in a classroom for up to an hour at a time and concentrate on everything that their teacher is saying?

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Extrinsic vs Intrinsic Motivation

Most school systems are based around extrinsic motivation, meaning that teachers provide rewards for correct behavior and that is the incentive for children to learn.

This often has the consequence of reducing the interest a child has in the task.

Extrinsic motivation also tends to undermine independent learning, making the child dependent on the source of the rewards (e.g., the teachers). Another problem is that when learning is based on rewards, understanding is often relatively superficial and does not generalize across contexts or situations.

In contrast intrinsic motivation – which refers to wanting to learn and understand for it’s own sake - is fundamental to teaching individuals on the spectrum.

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Research shows that if a person feels under too much pressure then this can lead to stress which as previously stated can lead to increased cortisol production.

This is likely why most children on the autism spectrum shut down when they feel under pressure and is why we never pressure a child to ride or do anything else whilst they are with us.

In Horse Boy Learning we always introduce a new topic or concept slowly without, at first, expecting any feedback.

We simply talk about the concept in the presence of the child whilst also partaking in an activity that the child enjoys.

When the child feels ready they will voluntarily begin to take a more active role in the conversation.

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Perhaps the most important survival skill a human being can learn is how to take another person’s perspective.

So what does that mean exactly?

It means knowing when someone is lying or telling the truth. It means learning to recognize and react to moods.

It means knowing that other people think differently to you and adjusting your behavior accordingly.

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Self-advocacy refers to an individual’s ability to effectively communicate his or her interests or desires.

It is the ability to believe in oneself and alongside perspective-taking is one of the most important skills an individual can have.

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Humor is the key to the Horse Boy Learning.

Laughter automatically leads to decreased cortisol production and increased oxytocin production.

The funnier a child finds something the more likely they are to remember it and want to do it again - intrinsic motivation at its best.

If all else fails revert to toilet humor.

We haven’t yet met a child who didn’t find talking about poo and farts funny.

If you are creative physiology, chemistry, biology and physics can all be taught using toilet humor.

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