The Benefits of Outdoor Activities for Children with Autism

Abstract

Children develop their potential and acquire basic living skills through participating in daily activities. Potentially hindered by their specific symptoms, children with autism normally have their therapeutic activities indoors and rarely outdoors. Activities held outside could increase their opportunities for contact with the outdoor environment, and this could further influence their development. A growing number of studies indicate that outdoor activities provide many benefits for people, including restorative or stress-reducing effects. Could the outdoor activities also help children with autism? The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of outdoor activities for children with autism. 15 participants were interviewed including special education teachers, volunteers, and parents of children with autism. The verbatim transcripts of the audio taped interviews were analyzed in detail. The results indicated that the outdoor activities provide 7 main benefits to children with autism, including promoting communication, emotion, cognition, interaction, physical activity, and decreasing autistic sensitivity.

Full text

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16th International Symposium on Society and Resource Management (ISSRM)
June 6 - 10, 2010 Corpus Christi, Texas USA
The Benefits of Outdoor Activities for Children with Autism
Yuan-Yu Chang and Chun-Yen Chang
Department of Horticulture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, R.O.C.
ABSTRACT
Children develop their potential and acquire basic living skills through participating in
daily activities. Potentially hindered by their specific symptoms, children with autism
normally have their therapeutic activities indoors and rarely outdoors. Activities held
outside could increase their opportunities for contact with the outdoor environment,
and this could further influence their development. A growing number of studies
indicate that outdoor activities provide many benefits for people, including restorative
or stress-reducing effects. Could the outdoor activities also help children with autism?
The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of outdoor activities for
children with autism. 15 participants were interviewed including special education
teachers, volunteers, and parents of children with autism. The verbatim transcripts of
the audio taped interviews were analyzed in detail. The results indicated that the
outdoor activities provide 7 main benefits to children with autism, including
promoting communication, emotion, cognition, interaction, physical activity, and
decreasing autistic sensitivity.
Keywords: communication, emotion, cognition, interaction, physical activity, autistic
sensitivity.
INTRODUCTION
The general decline in birth rate in recent years in Taiwan, but the population of
children with autism increased. A growing numbers of children are diagnosed with
autism in Taiwan. According to the statistics of the Special Education Transmit Net in
Taiwan showed that in 2001 the population of children with autism in elementary
stage was 917, and it rose to more than 4,000 in 2010.
Autism is the complex psychiatric or development disorder that would accompany
some problems. First, most of children with autism tend to have poor relations with
others. Second, they have language and communication disorder, delay in or total lack
of multiple nonverbal behaviors. Third, children with autism have repetitive and
stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities (APA, 1994). In addition,

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some of children with autism accompany other disorders, such as inattention or
hyperactivity.
Research has shown that children can gain a lot of benefits through contact with
nature and participation in outdoor activities (Alexander et al., 1995; Dirksa & Orvis,
2005; Lineberge & Zajicek, 2000; Lohr & Pearson-Mims, 2005; Waliczek et al., 2001;
Wells, 200; Taylor et al., 2001). Could outdoor activities and environments benefit
children with Autism. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of outdoor
activities for children with autism.
AUTISM
Autism is a behavior disorder with a neurodevelopmental origin. It is defined by its
behavioral properties in the editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM). Children with autistic characteristics may be classified as
having autism spectrum disorder, also known as pervasive developmental disorder
(PDD). Pervasive developmental disorder includes several disorders such as autistic
disorder, Asperger‟s syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett‟s disorder, and
pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). But children
who are diagnosed with any of these disorders exhibit the following characteristics:
“severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development: reciprocal social
interaction skills, communication skills, or the presence of stereotyped behavior,
interests, and activities” (APA, 1994).
In recent years in Taiwan, most of teachers are often using applied behavior
analysis to adjust the behavior of children with autism; using incidental teaching and
social story to improve their language skills; and using social skills training to
enhance their social skills. Due to consider the convenience and security of teaching,
children with autism normally have their therapeutic activities indoors and rarely
outdoors. This may affect autistic children's learning and development
THE BENEFIT OF OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT AND ACTIVITIES
Studies on adults found that exposure to outdoor natural environments can have
both physiological and psychological benefits , including attention restoration
(Cimprich, 1993; Hartig et al., 1991; Hartig et al., 2003; Tennessen & Cimprich, 1995;
Ulrich, 1984), vitality arousal (Herzog et al., 1997), emotional restoration e.g. anger
decreased (Hartig et al., 2003), increasing family interaction (Taylor et al., 1998). In
addition, the natural odors improved affective status: calmness, alertness, and mood
(Weber & Heuberger, 2008).
Some studies on children also has shown that outdoor activities, especially
gardening provide children many benefits, including increasing interactions with their

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peers, parents or other people (Alexander et al., 1995; Waliczek et al., 2001; Dirksa &
Orvis, 2005), improving their ability of communication, lead them to share what they
learn with others (Dirks & Orvis, 2005), encourages positive attitudes toward
vegetables (Lineberger & Zajicek, 2000), nature and the environment (Lohr &
Pearson-Mims, 2005). In addition, children can gain pleasant experiences (Schimmel,
2004; Alexander et al., 1995) and Aesthetic experience (Canaris, 1995) by outdoor
activities. However, most the subjects of these studies are normal children, rarely for
special children, especially children with autism. Could the outdoor activities also
help children with autism? The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of
outdoor activities for children with autism.
METHOD
The participants were including special education teachers, volunteers, and parents
of children with autism. This study used semi-structured interviews (guided
interviews) to interview participants. The study interview began with the following
broad opening questions: „„How many years have you got along with children with
autism? What types of therapy or educational strategies do you employ?‟‟ The
interviewer next asked, „„What things and activities are autistic children‟s favorite in
outdoor environment? What should you notice when taking autistic children outdoor?
What can attract autistic children‟s attention in outdoor environment?‟‟ At last, the
interviewer asked, „„What can improve autistic children‟s mental and physical
development in outdoor environment?‟‟ Interviews took from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours.
This study used ATLAS.ti, qualitative data analysis software to analysis content of
interview. The verbatim transcripts of the audio taped interviews were analyzed in
detail.
RESULTS
15 participants were interviewed. According to the initial interviews, we found
most teachers have to take care of many students, rarely have opportunities to take
children to do some outdoor activities. The volunteers of autism groups also have less
time to take them outdoors. Therefore, parents were the primary participants in this
study.
The 7 main benefits emerged from multiple interviews with special education
teachers, volunteers, and parents of children with autism were promoting
communication, emotion, cognition, interaction, physical activity, and decreasing
autistic sensitivity (Table 1).
Social interaction
There are two secondary concepts in this main concept. The first one is initiative

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and the second is increasing social interaction. Because there are many types of novel
and abundant sceneries, and playground equipments that children like to play with,
they can attract children's attention and promote children to take initiative in talking to
other people; hence they can increase children with autism‟s social interaction.
a. Initiative
Taking him outside we are able to talk about different topics, being able to look
at various plants/ flowers gives us an interesting topic to talk about; when he
sees something he likes he will say ”I want it”. (P8)
b. Increasing social interaction
When he was growing plants, he would be very happy, he would be very
joyful…I would tell him, “mom will take you to apply fertilizer”. I think this is a
type of social interaction. He can [use it to] understand many things. [For
example], maybe today the subject is mom, and then he could come in contact
with mom’s emotions. (P4)
Communication
The second main concept is communication; there are two secondary concepts
within it. There are a lot of multiple natural elements outside and outdoor
environment changes all the time, so they provide an opportunity for children with
autism to speak about many different things and increasing their content of speech.
a. Promoting speaking ability
At the beach he will make the connection between waves and the song “moving
white waves”. So it seems as if they can make connections between an object
and an experience. Whenever we had an experience like this together, I would
always encourage his expression. (P6)
b. Increasing the content of speech
Because the outdoor environment changes all the time, this provides an
opportunity for him to speak about many different things. (P6)
Behavior
The third main concept is behavior. There are four secondary concepts within it,
including promoting positive behavior, promoting the ability to accept the changing
circumstances, decreasing ritualistic behavior, and reducing agitations.
a. Promoting positive behavior
There are many things attract children in outdoor environment, so children like to
play outdoors. Some participants mentioned that they would use it as a reward to
motivate children‟s “good” behavior. Therefore children will show more positive

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behaviors, such as more obedient to achieve the purpose that can play outside.
b. Promoting the ability to accept the changing circumstances
Because there are many various natural elements and they changes all the time in
outdoor environment, hence, if children with autism often play in outdoor
environment, they will contact with a variety of plants and changing things, this help
them to promote the ability to accept the changing circumstances.
c. Decreasing ritualistic behavior
Many children with autism have ritualistic behavior of food, and they prefer
particular foods and do not like vegetables. There are many horticultural crops
outdoors, such as flowers, fruit trees, vegetables. If children are frequently exposed to
these horticultural crops, it can reduce their sense of exclusion of certain plants. In
addition, the body energy expenditure after exercise outdoors, children will feel
hungry easily and eat more, so can decrease children‟s ritualistic behavior of food.
d. Reducing agitations
The vestibular sensory system is the balance sense that helps children responds to
changes in speed and direction while moving. Many participants mentioned that there
are a lot of activities outdoors, such as cycling, running, playing recreational facilities
can stimulate vestibular sensory system, and many parents and teachers said that their
children and student will be more stable after doing the kind of activity.
They need to stimulate their vestibular systems, because if their vestibular
systems are not be stimulated, they will be agitative. (T1)
Emotion
The fourth main concept is emotion. Because There are many beautiful landscape,
plants and a variety of elements change, including water changes in outdoor
environment, that can attract children‟s attention and positive emotions, such as happy.
Some outdoor activities, such as horticulture activities can provide children with
autism an opportunity of taking care of plants, and they can obtain sense of
achievement for this kind of activity.
In addition, let‟s look at this text, a participant mentioned, going outside too see
scenery can clam her child down more, and she found when the scenery is dynamic,
his heart will be still.
a. Increasing the positive emotions
Going outside to see scenery calms him down more. When the scenery is
dynamic, his heart will be still. If scenery is still, he will be more agitated. (P6)
b. Decreasing the negative emotions

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Cognition
a. Improving to learn new things
Because there are multiple natural elements, such as various plants, varied
landform in outdoor environment that attracting children's attention, stimulating their
interest in active learning, and allowing a first-hand experience of the outdoors.
When I brought him outside to see, to experience, to touch, and then he would
tell me, “mom, the leaf smells bad, this one smells good.” (P4)
b. Promoting observation ability
There are multiple natural elements and dynamic landscapes provide many
opportunities for children with autism to observe.
c. Reviewing the knowledge learned
There are many scenery and activities in outdoor environment, maybe some of
them children may have seen on television or books before, or they have ever
experienced. Hence by taking children with autism outside not only can teach them
new things, but also can help them to review the knowledge learned.
At the beach he will make the connection between waves and the song “moving
white waves”. So it seems as if they can make connections between an object
and an experience. Whenever we had an experience like this together, I would
always encourage his expression. (P6)
d. Improving attention
Some outdoor activities can train children's attention, such as catching ball, riding a
bicycle. Some participants found that when children complete these activities, their
attention will become better. In addition, those activities also can help release
children‟s excess energy, thereby reducing the restlessness of children and enhancing
their sense of attention.
He looked at the ball and then caught it, it’s a movement for him to see and then
to do
…
I think the movement is good training for him! Because his problem is
he doesn’t notice things around him, so you can let him practice it by doing
these kinds of activities. The other activity is riding a bicycle because he has to
concentrate on the process of riding. If he doesn’t do it, he will fall down. (P9)
Autistic sensitivity
a. Decreasing extreme response to certain sensitive stimulations
Children with autism appear to sense the world in different ways to other people.
Some seem to be hypersensitive and some appear to be hyposensitive. Many
participants talked about their children who were afraid of touching sand or grass
before, but after guiding and repeated exposure, their extreme response was

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decreasing, and they even like to play sand or grass now. Hence, outdoor activities
help to decrease children‟s extreme response to certain sensitive stimulations.
We decreased his sensitivity [to sand] by taking him to [a beach often], where
we put his feet into the sand intentionally. Of course, he first felt an itch, but he
didn’t feel too much of it later…[Now I] often take him outside, and his
endurance [to withstand autistic sensitivities] is better. For example, [the
sensitivity] he feels decreases bit by bit, and he learns “actually, it doesn’t
matter”. (P8)
Physical activity
1. Promoting body coordination
There are many recreational equipment outdoors, such as balance beam, climbing
facilities, etc can promote children‟s body coordination. For example, children can
promote their sense of balance by riding bicycles.
His physical fitness is much better than before, and he becomes very healthy, it’s
really better than before. (P4)
2. Promoting physical fitness
Engage in physical activities in outdoor that would not only help release children's
excess energy but also can promote their good health.
He learned to ride a bicycle and did some exercises in outdoors. After doing
these, his muscle coordination got better and his sense of balance also was
better, because some exercises can help train the sense of balance. (P8)
Table 1. The key and secondary concept of the interview results
key concept
secondary concept
Who mentioned it
Social interaction
Initiative
* T1, P5, P8
increasing social interaction
T1, P4, P5, P6
Communication
promoting speaking ability
T1, P4, P6
increasing the content of speech
P6, P8
Behavior
promoting positive behavior
P 8
promoting the ability to accept the changing
circumstances
P 4
decreasing ritualistic behavior
P 4
reducing agitations
T1, P8
Emotion
increasing the positive emotions
V1, V2, P4, P5, P6, P8,
P10
decreasing the negative emotions
P 8

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Cognition
improving to learn new things
V1, P4, P6, P8
promoting observation ability
P 4, P6
reviewing the knowledge learned
P6
improving attention
P8, P9
Autistic sensitivity
decreasing extreme response to certain sensitive
stimulations
P4, P6, P7, P8, P9
Physical activity
promoting body coordination
P7, P8, P10
promoting physical fitness
P4, P6
* T=Teacher, V=Volunteer, P= Parent.
Discussion
In this study, the benefits of outdoor activities for children with autism mainly
come from two parts, outdoor environment and outdoor activities. Although the
outdoor environment and activities are interaction, but we still tried to clarify the
resources of the benefits by transcripts. On this slide; you can see the beneficial
characteristics of outdoor environment and activities.
In addition, this study further calculated the times of benefits were mentioned,
found that most of the outdoor activities benefits are increasing positive emotion and
increasing cognitive ability. It‟s corresponding with previous studies.
Are all outdoor environment and activities beneficial to children with Autism?
According interviewing, many participants mentioned when their children access new
environment or things, they often have fears, for example some children with autism
are afraid of water, sand, and grass. It's because they have very sensitive sensory, but
if you often take them outside to see, to experience, to touch, their endurances to
withstand autistic sensitivities will be better. And they will know, “actually, it doesn‟t
matter”. Even they will like it.
In addition, because there are many types of Novel and abundant sceneries, and
playground equipments outsides that children like to play with, they can induce
children‟s positive emotions, therefore taking children with autism go outside is an
effective method to decreasing their extreme response to certain sensitive
stimulations.
Conclusions
By qualitative interviews with special education teachers, volunteers and parents
summed up the characteristics of the outdoor environment and activities that would
bring benefits for children with autism. The results of study showed that outdoor

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activities have various benefits for children with autism, such as promoting
communication, emotion, cognition, interaction, physical activity, and decreasing
autistic sensitivity.
Therefore, this study suggests autism‟s teachers and parents should often take their
children go outside to enhance their multi-benefits. In addition, by interviewing with
these participants summed up the characteristics of the outdoor environment and
activities that would benefit children with autism. This result also can be used as a
reference for children with autism's environment and activities design.
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