Raising the Bar: What You Need to Know About Certification, Credentialing, & the American Hippotherapy Certification Board Exams

Session Description:
This presentation will provide attendees with the information needed to obtain internationally recognized certification and credentialing for the use of hippotherapy as one of many therapy tools utilized by physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology professionals. Attendees will gain a greater understanding of The American Hippotherapy Certification Board (AHCB) and the AHCB Hippotherapy Certification and Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist® exams. This presentation will be an in-depth discussion of the benefits of certification and credentialing and a detailed review of the AHCB exams and processes. More specifically, the AHCB Certification and HPCS® exam details covered will include: 

• Pre-requisites 

• Application procedures

• Content areas assessed and preparation

• Exam day experience

• Renewal processes

Attendees of this presentation will obtain an extensive knowledge base about the benefits of certification and credentialing for themselves and how they can immediately begin the process (with AHCB and AHA, Inc.).

Intended Audience:
This session is open to all therapists (PT, PTA, OT, COTA, SLP, and SLPA) wanting to know more about the credentialling process.

Learning Outcomes: 

• Articulate the benefits of certification and credentialing

• Identify eligibility criteria and pre-requisites

• Recognize the application procedures

• Describe the content areas assessed

• Explain the renewal processes

Presenters Biography:

Meredith S. Bazaar is a NJ and NY licensed speech-language pathologist and lifetime equestrian. Meredith is a Past President of the American Hippotherapy Association, Inc. (AHA), a board certified Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist, coordinating faculty for the AHA, a PATH Intl. Certified Riding Instructor, and serves on the American Hippotherapy Certification Board (AHCB). She was the 2010 recipient of the AHA, Inc. President’s Award and is a registered member of AHA, AHCB, PATH, ASHA, NJSHA, and NYSHA. Meredith received a Bachelor of Arts at The George Washington University in 1995 and a Master of Arts in speech and language pathology at Northwestern University in 1997. She is the founder of Grounded Mobility, LLC, which provides speech and language evaluation and treatment to adults and children in a variety of settings. Meredith enthusiastically shares her experience and knowledge presenting at international conferences, guest lecturing at universities and colleges, and conducting training seminars and webinars. As an equestrian, she has qualified and competed in the AHSA Medal, the ASPCA Maclay, the USET Medal, and Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Finals. Currently, Meredith rides for pleasure when she is not working or more importantly parenting Sylvie and Arlo.

Shannon Middleton is a Speech-Language Pathologist with over 30 years of experience and nearly 20 years of incorporating hippotherapy into her practice at ROCK, Ride On Center for Kids in Georgetown, Texas. She has been a certified Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist (HPCS) since 2014 and currently serves as the Clinical Director of Speech-Language Pathology at All Care Therapies of Georgetown. Shannon is actively involved in advancing the field of hippotherapy through her service on the American Hippotherapy Certification Board (since 2020), the American Hippotherapy Association’s Professional Practice Committee, and the Ethics, Advocacy, and Reimbursement Committee. In addition, she serves as the ASHA CE Consultant for AHA, Inc.

Presenter Disclosure:

Financial: Meredith Bazaar and Shannon Middleton are independent contractor for AHA, Inc. and does not receive a fee from AHA, Inc. for instructional services.

Non-Financial: Meredith Bazaar and Shannon Middleton are members of the AHA, Inc.