Healing Austism in Mongolia

Temple Grandin, the professor who has become famous for using her autism to experience the world from an animal's point of view, has certainly documented the connection that autistic people seem to have with animals. Rupert Issacson, however, has gone even further. Desperate to help his autistic son, who was five at the time, the travel writer decided to pack up the family and go to Mongolia, to seek the healing advice of some shamans he had met, and to let his son ride the wild Mogolian horses.

The result was impressive. According to Issacson's new book, The Horse Boy, his son Rowan's worst behavioral issues have all but disappeared. The book is reviewed in last week's New York Times, and the story is fascinating.

Apparently Mr. Issacson's publishers (Little Brown) thought so highly of the idea that they paid him a $1 million advance before they had taken the trip and knew whether or not the idea was going to be successful. The fact that it was, however, has placed the book in an entirely new arena and, as you can imagine, movie deals are pending.

Prior to their journey, horse back riding had proved to be one of the only therapies that calmed and soothed Rowan. Issacson had also taken his son to a convention of non-traditional healers and had some success.

Certainly not everyone can pack up their family and head to Mongolia, and doctors warn against looking for a miracle. They do however, admit that autistic children sometimes make leaps in their development. The question is whether or not Rowan would have made the same leaps without going to Mongolia.

Issacson and his wife have used part of the book advance to start a ranch where other autistic children can ride. He also said the rigors of their trip were especially suited to Rowan's temperament, even though there were plenty of times when Rowan had tantrums and refused to get anywhere near a horse.

I guess you'll just have to read it for yourself. In the meantime, it demonstrates, once again, that we will literally go to the ends of the earth to try and help the ones we love.