Contact with nature during the school day can benefit both students with autism and their teachersEducational goals for children with an identified disability are specified on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). This case study investigated the effects of using an outdoor environment to promote the IEP goals of five autistic students during a social skills group intervention at an elementary school in the United States. The social skills class met for 30 minutes each school day. The class included five children (grades 2-4) with autism and two special education teachers. The study was framed by stress recovery theory (SRT), which posits that exposure to natural settings can reduce stress in individuals.
Data collection for this study included 31 observations of children in the social skills class and three interviews with the teachers. The observations were conducted over a five-month period, with all but five taking place outdoors. The outdoor settings on the school grounds consisted of two types: (1) outdoor learning sites (a pavilion, an outdoor classroom, and playground/ blacktop/field areas) and (2) nature-based learning sites (a nature trail and a clearing in a wooded area). The distinction between the two types was based on opportunities for nature immersion. The observations focused on target behaviors related to the IEP goals for three students, with tally marks used to record the frequency of the observed behaviors. IEP-related behaviors of the other two students were not recorded, as they were more difficult to quantify. The teacher interviews were conducted at the beginning, middle, and end of the study period. The interviews -- which were semi-structured -- were audio recorded and transcribed.
Interview responses indicated that neither of the teachers had significant experience or training with outdoor or nature based learning prior to this study. Their confidence and skill in conducting outdoor lessons -- along with their appreciation of the value -- seemed to increase over time. Observational data provided evidence of progress toward each student's IEP goals, with lower stress levels possibly contributing to this progress. Findings also indicated that the teachers may have “equally benefited from stress reduction while outside.” “Notable positive effects” for the teachers were “evidenced by continued mention of feelings of calm, enjoying the peace of the outdoors, and feeling less drained.” Both students and teachers experienced some challenges related to the outdoor settings. At the outdoor learning sites, proximity to traffic and other human activity was distracting for some students. This concern prompted the teachers to use the nature-based learning sites more frequently. The time it took to transition students from the indoor to outdoor setting was an initial concern for the teachers. They soon adapted to this challenge by finding creative ways to utilize transition time for related instruction. Another adaptation made by the teachers involved more accepting and flexible behavioral expectations when outside. This adaptation seemed to ease the stress of both teachers and students.
This research supports the idea that contact with nature during the school day can benefit both students with autism and their teachers. It also demonstrates that “even for teachers with no prior experience taking children into nature, outdoor learning is possible and beneficial to everyone involved.”
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