AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me)
Gardening has the potential to empower those with autism, building their confidence to cope with the outside world
Kim Stoddart and her son Arthur picking fennel in the polytunnel in their garden. Photograph: Alberto Gentleman
I was going to write about compost this month and the different techniques I’ve been using to produce more gardening ‘gold’ for my plot. Then I found out it’s World Autism Awareness Week and I couldn’t resist writing about my fabulous autistic son and the many therapeutic benefits of gardening instead.
In the few years since Arthur’s diagnosis (he’s nearly seven) my family and I have been through a lot with our youngest son. We have found that like most (if not all) non-neurotypical children, he is happiest outside. Arthur is a charmingly happy little boy most of the time anyway, but he’s utterly in his element when either walking or doing things in the open air.
Over time, the garden has become a bit like an open sensory room, only better - with crunchy gravel and slate pathways that make a delightful sound when you walk along them, tons of wildlife and many, many sounds, smells and sensory appealing details and areas to explore besides. When we’ve had people over and Arthur’s had a meltdown, the garden is where we’ve gone and he is almost instantly calmed. In the early days when getting him to eat much of a healthy nature was often tricky, a little forage in the garden worked wonders. It made the process of eating more interesting to him, and meant that now (thankfully) he continues to eat a wide range of fruit and vegetables.
Of course anyone who gardens knows how good it can make you feel. Whether you’re a bit tired, have had a stressful day at work, or are dealing with serious depression or heartbreaking loss, I’ve heard time and time again from people how powerfully healing the process of gardening can be. It enables us to take time out from the constant business, noise and over-stimulation of the 24/7 modern world and just be. It’s no wonder that those on the spectrum benefit greatly from any time spent in the great outdoors.
Sarah Wild is the head teacher at Limpsfield Grange School in Surrey, whose inspirational work was showcased in an ITV documentary Girls with Autism. She told me: “being outside is of enormous benefit for the girls, it really helps them to process their feelings and emotionally regulate. We also added outdoor learning on our curriculum for year sevens this year, which has been very successful, teaching the girls about the trees and wildlife in the grounds of the Grange and in our local area. For many of our girls, working with animals or horticulture is a possible employment route too.”
I also believe that gardening has the potential to empower those with autism - to build confidence that will flow into other areas of their lives, no matter where they lie on the spectrum. So often a diagnosis brings with it a negative perception which can be disheartening; all the more reason why building ability - and therefore greater resilience - is key.
You only have to look at the higher-functioning young people that garden designer Alan Gardner worked with on Channel 4’s The Autistic Gardener to get a taste for the potential that lies within. They all blossomed and developed when they were listened to and given opportunities. For Gardner, his Aspergers gives him a unique eye for design and sequential detail, along with a fantastic drive to be the best that has helped him become the highly successful, award-winning garden designer he is today. As he says; “gardening isn’t a lesser career, it’s an amazing thing to do”.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) shows will be highlighting ways to optimise green spaces for people with autism this year. In particular, Shea O’Neill’s ACE kids: Spectrum of Genius garden at Tatton Park in July will demonstrate ways to adapt gardens and parks for those on the spectrum: including adding calming scents such as roses, elderflower and jasmine, making sure planting is non-toxic and creating interest and areas for both calm and educational stimulation.
The landscape designer has an 11-year old son with autism, and says she has found gardening to be one of the simplest but most effective ways of helping him. O’Neill said: “For my boy, gardening has been life-changing and I can’t recommend it enough to anybody who lives or works with people with autism. Eoghan wasn’t a happy little boy, but being in the garden brings him peace and he has been transformed as a result of it.”
As my youngest son learns to cope with the world and all that is expected of him, to find his voice and make himself heard, the garden remains a haven. Having a non-neurotypical child has taught us so many things. Entering his world to bring him more into ours has been challenging, but ultimately it has enriched our lives. I’ve fully embraced all things autism; so much so that I’m in the process of setting up a social enterprise that will offer therepeutic and empowering gardening experiences to a range of people, including autistic young people and adults.
One thing’s for sure: our future will not be normal - it will be a veritable rainbow of vibrant difference instead. I think the world will be all the better for it.
SOURCE: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...w-gardening-helped-my-autistic-son-to-blossom
Gardening has the potential to empower those with autism, building their confidence to cope with the outside world
Kim Stoddart and her son Arthur picking fennel in the polytunnel in their garden. Photograph: Alberto Gentleman
I was going to write about compost this month and the different techniques I’ve been using to produce more gardening ‘gold’ for my plot. Then I found out it’s World Autism Awareness Week and I couldn’t resist writing about my fabulous autistic son and the many therapeutic benefits of gardening instead.
In the few years since Arthur’s diagnosis (he’s nearly seven) my family and I have been through a lot with our youngest son. We have found that like most (if not all) non-neurotypical children, he is happiest outside. Arthur is a charmingly happy little boy most of the time anyway, but he’s utterly in his element when either walking or doing things in the open air.
Over time, the garden has become a bit like an open sensory room, only better - with crunchy gravel and slate pathways that make a delightful sound when you walk along them, tons of wildlife and many, many sounds, smells and sensory appealing details and areas to explore besides. When we’ve had people over and Arthur’s had a meltdown, the garden is where we’ve gone and he is almost instantly calmed. In the early days when getting him to eat much of a healthy nature was often tricky, a little forage in the garden worked wonders. It made the process of eating more interesting to him, and meant that now (thankfully) he continues to eat a wide range of fruit and vegetables.
Of course anyone who gardens knows how good it can make you feel. Whether you’re a bit tired, have had a stressful day at work, or are dealing with serious depression or heartbreaking loss, I’ve heard time and time again from people how powerfully healing the process of gardening can be. It enables us to take time out from the constant business, noise and over-stimulation of the 24/7 modern world and just be. It’s no wonder that those on the spectrum benefit greatly from any time spent in the great outdoors.
Sarah Wild is the head teacher at Limpsfield Grange School in Surrey, whose inspirational work was showcased in an ITV documentary Girls with Autism. She told me: “being outside is of enormous benefit for the girls, it really helps them to process their feelings and emotionally regulate. We also added outdoor learning on our curriculum for year sevens this year, which has been very successful, teaching the girls about the trees and wildlife in the grounds of the Grange and in our local area. For many of our girls, working with animals or horticulture is a possible employment route too.”
I also believe that gardening has the potential to empower those with autism - to build confidence that will flow into other areas of their lives, no matter where they lie on the spectrum. So often a diagnosis brings with it a negative perception which can be disheartening; all the more reason why building ability - and therefore greater resilience - is key.
You only have to look at the higher-functioning young people that garden designer Alan Gardner worked with on Channel 4’s The Autistic Gardener to get a taste for the potential that lies within. They all blossomed and developed when they were listened to and given opportunities. For Gardner, his Aspergers gives him a unique eye for design and sequential detail, along with a fantastic drive to be the best that has helped him become the highly successful, award-winning garden designer he is today. As he says; “gardening isn’t a lesser career, it’s an amazing thing to do”.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) shows will be highlighting ways to optimise green spaces for people with autism this year. In particular, Shea O’Neill’s ACE kids: Spectrum of Genius garden at Tatton Park in July will demonstrate ways to adapt gardens and parks for those on the spectrum: including adding calming scents such as roses, elderflower and jasmine, making sure planting is non-toxic and creating interest and areas for both calm and educational stimulation.
The landscape designer has an 11-year old son with autism, and says she has found gardening to be one of the simplest but most effective ways of helping him. O’Neill said: “For my boy, gardening has been life-changing and I can’t recommend it enough to anybody who lives or works with people with autism. Eoghan wasn’t a happy little boy, but being in the garden brings him peace and he has been transformed as a result of it.”
As my youngest son learns to cope with the world and all that is expected of him, to find his voice and make himself heard, the garden remains a haven. Having a non-neurotypical child has taught us so many things. Entering his world to bring him more into ours has been challenging, but ultimately it has enriched our lives. I’ve fully embraced all things autism; so much so that I’m in the process of setting up a social enterprise that will offer therepeutic and empowering gardening experiences to a range of people, including autistic young people and adults.
One thing’s for sure: our future will not be normal - it will be a veritable rainbow of vibrant difference instead. I think the world will be all the better for it.
- Kim Stoddart blogs at getbadlybehaved.com and you can follow her on twitter @badlybehavedone.
SOURCE: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...w-gardening-helped-my-autistic-son-to-blossom
