It was World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd. In keeping with that, Our guest today is Pushpa P Bopaiah - an Equine Therapist -The only certified therapeutic riding instructor in India helping children with physical disabilities and other challenges such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, & autism. Pushpa is certified by Strides Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc., California, a therapy centre accredited by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Inc., Los Angeles. (NARHA). She completed her training here in 2000 and came back to India to introduce therapeutic riding for the first time in India in her hometown- Bengaluru. Pushpa has also completed her Masters in Sociology at Bangalore University and has received a diploma in horsemanship from the Grallsta Riding Centre. She also briefly worked at the Arundel Park Riding for Disabled Inc. in Australia. Pushpa has a diploma in Special Needs Teachers Training from AP Teacher Training Institute and in 2011 Pushpa began an integrated preschool for children. Her school, Ninos Pre-school and Day Care in BTM Layout, Bangalore had over 36 students, which included 20 children with special needs. She believes that integration at an early age will help children with special needs to cope better with the world around them Listen in as Pushpa shares her journey from a naughty little girl to a lover of horses who moved on over the past few decades to make a difference in the lives of children with special needs & found aging horses so powerful in therapy.

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