Nature-based interventions are most effective when alignment of intervention qualities, context and the child’s needs are considered in choosing therapeutic approaches

Nature-based interventions can play a promising role alongside standard treatment for children and adolescents with developmental disorders. A growing body of research has identified outcomes associated with these interventions. However, there is a gap in understanding the qualities and key ingredients (practices, types of plants and animals) of interventions that may facilitate treatment goals. Program staff can provide a unique perspective in filling this gap.

This study focuses on perspectives of 78 staff at a residential treatment facility and school that applies nature-based interventions. The program at the facility includes animal and nature-based interventions which include the use of farm and wild animals that live on the campus. The youth interact with animals in therapy sessions and attend classes focused on animals and plants. Farm staff, clinicians, teachers, and residential staff were interviewed to understand how and why youth were impacted by the nature-based interventions.

The participant interviews yielded five key themes: availability of physical interactions, gratification, emotional experience elicited, stimulation, and familiarity. Staff noted that nature-based interventions provided opportunities for hands-on learning and physical affection which helped the children and youth learn self-regulation skills. Opportunities to anticipate how the animals might respond helped children regulate their behavior or practice patience and persistence in order to delay gratification.  The interventions also elicited several emotional experiences such as displaying a sense of safety, overcoming fear, and grounding youth in the present moment. Even though the farm environment could be very stimulating, it did motivate them to try to manage the stimuli. The facility also helped youth become more familiar with the nature-based interventions over time and develop an identity as caregivers for the plants and animals. The farm also provided opportunities for the youth to discover and explore and step out of their comfort zone.

The staff interviews revealed that the staff were focused on the intervention qualities, as noted above, and not a particular animal species or specific nature interaction. The variety of interactions, and their flexible application, were beneficial since staff could customize the intervention based on the individual, their context and qualities of the intervention. Additional research is needed to understand qualities of nature-based interventions and how practitioners might elicit them from various types of interventions.