Introduction: Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of anextra chromosome 21. Down syndrome frequently experience impairments in balance and coordination. A combined Neurodevelopmental Treatment in conjunction with hippotherapy contributes to improvements in static and dynamic balance in children and adolescents with DS. Purpose: The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the short-term and long-term effectiveness of neurodevelopmental treatment in combination with hippotherapy on the balance of children with Down syndrome through a retrospective analysis of balance functional test results from the pilot study using a randomized clinical trial protocol. Methods: The retrospective analysis included test results from 10 children with Down syndrome who were randomly assigned to two groups according to the study protocol. They were testing as part of the health program FUNfitness by the Special Olympics Slovenia. The control group received standard neurodevelopmental treatment twice a week for 60 minutes over a period of 4 months, while the study group received the same treatment combined with hippotherapy twice a week for 20 to 35 minutes over the same time period. Results: The analysis of baseline results showed no statistically significant differences between the groups, indicating group homogeneity. The analysis of functional test outcomes revealed statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups, both in the short term and in the long term. In the experimental group, the achieved effects were maintained in most cases after six months after the completion of the program, whereas in the control group the outcomes gradually deteriorated over time. Discussion and conclusion: Based on the statistical analysis of the functional test results, we conclude that the combination of neurodevelopmental treatment and hippotherapy is an effective short-term and long-term method for improving balance in children with Down syndrome.
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