He wasn't totally cured but the improvements were substantial.

An Elgin family is now a big believer in alternative medicine and the healing power of horses.

Their journey seeking a cure for their son's autism is the subject of the documentary film "The Horse Boy," opening in Austin this Friday.

Rowan Isaacson and his father Rupert are likely the only Texans to travel Bastrop County and Outer Mongolia by horseback.

Rowan was diagnosed with autism at two years old.

	For more information:
• Using art and other methods as a treatment for children with Autism. • Using alternative therapies for Autism. • The Horse Boy Foundation for children with Austism.

When traditional therapies had little effect, his parents saddled up on a quest of spiritual healing tied to Rowan's affinity for animals.

The destination took them half way around the world to Mongolia.

"It was a real leap of faith especially because it was Rupert's idea and I fought him tooth and nail for about two years," University of Texas psychology professor and Rowan's mother, Kristin Neff, said.

Local filmmaker Michel Orion Scott tagged along to document the journey and ordeal of Rowan's neurological disorder.

"I think part of the beauty of the film is that, in some ways, the film was about the parents coming to terms with their child's autism," Scott said.

		WATCH THE VIDEO
	"Horse Boy" News 8's Victor Diaz explains the moving story behind "The Horse Boy."

Then, the film became more.

Many of Rowan's dysfunctions subsided after continued exposure to horseback riding and meeting Mongolian shamans.

He wasn't totally cured but the improvements were substantial.

"So he came back still autistic, but so functional within his autism that it was more of like a personality type than a condition or a disorder," Isaacson said.

Rowan's family considers it a success story. They started the New Trails Center in Elgin to expose other autistic children to horseback riding.

	Local filmmaker Michel Orion Scott tagged along to document the journey and ordeal of Rowan's neurological disorder.

"For us, it really did yield the most extraordinary results and take us from a very dark difficult place into an amazing place," Isaacson said.

A place they hope to share with others who struggle to break the confinements of autism.

"The Horse Boy" screens in Waco Thursday night at the Hippodrome Theater.

Then the film opens in Austin for a full theatrical run at Arbor Cinema.

Isaacson will be on hand for the Friday night opening.