November 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 25

fragrance of a rose, or the textures
and patterns in a pinecone.
Interacting with animals is another
encouraging ASD-nature connection.
Equine therapy uses horses
and trained instructors to help children
stay calm, focus, think, talk,
behave and learn. Family pets can
be a ready-at-any-time, home-based
therapy. Studies have shown that
children with autism who had a pet
from a young age tended to have
greater social skills. Other research
verifies how social behaviors in
children with ASD temporarily improve
after even a short play period
with a live animal, such as a guinea
pig (versus a toy).
My family experience with my
youngest son, who has Asperger's
Syndrome, bears this all out. From
the time he was 5 years old, we
lived in the country, with nature
literally outside our door, and he
often played and explored outside
contentedly for long stretches.
(We did have a neighbor through
the woods who sometimes blasted
his radio as far as our yard, which
greatly upset our son in his quiet
communing with nature. We had
to go ask him to turn it down,
which he graciously did.) For a
time, we had a knuckleheaded dog,
named Toby, which our young son
loved and treated very well, as he
did a series of multicolored cats.
One year, he incubated bobwhite
quail eggs and raised the chicks until
they matured, and we released
them into our back field. Another
year, he raised chickens until the
roosters crowed at 4 a.m. In all his
animal interactions, he brought enthusiasm
and a pleasant demeanor
to his interest and grew in his responsibilities
for caring for them.
The American Academy of Child
and Adolescent Psychiatry adds
that caring for a pet can help children
develop nonverbal communication,
compassion, empathy and
trusting relationships. Along with
their connection to nature, pets also
can bring comfort contact for unmet
physical and emotional needs.
Here are some simple starting
steps to introduce children with
ASD to nature:
* Allow them to enjoy unstructured
play in a natural setting in
their own way. Do not feel you
must direct them; self-directed
nature play builds creativity and
problem solving. Let them stare
at a leaf, if that's what they like.
Getting dirty is fine.
* Your natural area need not be
a park or preserve set aside for
such purposes. It can be a flower
bed, a backyard tree or even
some sticks and leaves. Start
from where you and your child
are both comfortable, and plan
for incremental steps.
* Look for different kinds of wildlife
or plants, even if it is through
a window. Set up a birdfeeder
or watch for squirrels. Let them
count the number of butterflies,
or how many different kinds of
weeds they can find growing in
For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder,
research shows that engagement
with nature provides sensory motor skill,
emotional and social benefits.
the crack of the sidewalk. Nature
is all around, even in urban areas,
there to be noticed.
* Add small excursions as comfort
and interest grows. Go on a nature
scavenger hunt. Plan a trip
to pick apples, strawberries or
pumpkins. Try to identify constellations
in the nighttime sky.
Go out in a rainstorm. Make
bark rubbings of trees. Order a
chrysalis and watch the butterfly
emerge. Create a windowsill garden.
Plant a tree. Build a snowman.
Erect a small hut as a safe
outdoor shelter as a play retreat,
where they can simply sit and be
silent if they want. Collect differently
colored leaves, etc.
Simple interactions with nature
can bring both immediate and
long-range therapeutic benefits for
children with ASD. All they need
is someone to introduce them in
ways they can appreciate; nature
provides the rest.
Tim Herd, CPRE, is CEO of the Pennsylvania
Recreation and Park Society.
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | NOVEMBER 2 0 22 | Parks & Recreation
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November 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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