Emily's Rock Garden was started by her grandmother after realizing they had developed a special bond while decorating rocks and that this may be a way to help other children. They decided to start selling the rocks to raise money for therapeutic horseback riding in order to sponsor Emily and other children with special needs. In South Carolina, 1 in 55 children are diagnosed. Many may not realize, but therapies can be very expensive and are typically not covered by insurance. In addition to medical costs, intensive behavioral interventions for children with ASD can cost an upwards of $100,000 per child per year. In addition, alternative therapies such as horseback riding, although may be effective, are not covered by insurance or government monies. To this date one of the most beneficial therapies for Emily has been her horseback riding. Emily has the opportunity to ride at a farm in Simpsonville, SC.
