Beautiful times with the outdoor classroom for Transition U students from the Knox Learning Center!
Our lead volunteer and Farm to School Community Champion, Nancy Bevan, lead a fun and rich sensory experience for the students this week.
Transition U is a program for students aged 18-22 who are living with developmental disabilities, and provides both academic and independent living skills education.
Community Roots provides therapeutic horticulture that creates practice with skills such as dexterity and focus. Activities such as creating vases and harvesting flowers not only offer teaching moments in following instructions, plant identification, and pollinator topics, but also generate opportunities for students to practice social skills and making outdoor activity a regular part of life.
1. Sensory Experiences
Students with developmental disabilities often face sensory processing challenges, making it important to engage their senses in a controlled, therapeutic manner. Horticultural therapy is particularly effective because it involves a wide range of sensory stimuli:
Tactile stimulation: Handling soil, planting seeds, and touching plants allow students to engage their sense of touch. The different textures of leaves, flowers, and soil offer a range of sensations, helping students develop fine motor skills and tactile awareness.
Visual stimulation: The vibrant colors and various shapes of plants provide visual stimulation, which can help students with focus and visual tracking skills. Seeing plants grow over time also enhances a sense of accomplishment.
Olfactory stimulation: Many plants, especially herbs and flowers, emit distinctive scents that can engage students' sense of smell. This can be calming, as certain scents (e.g., lavender) have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety.
Auditory stimulation: The sound of rustling leaves, wind, or water can create a soothing auditory environment, promoting relaxation and mindfulness.
Taste experiences: In cases where edible plants are involved, students may also get to taste the fruits of their labor, offering a rewarding, multi-sensory experience.
These sensory experiences are valuable for improving self-regulation, managing anxiety, and enhancing sensory integration in students with developmental disabilities.
2. Vocational Training
Horticultural therapy is also an excellent tool for providing vocational training for developmentally disabled students, giving them the skills and confidence needed for future employment. Some of the ways this works include:
Task sequencing and responsibility: Students learn to follow step-by-step instructions for planting, watering, and caring for plants, promoting organization and responsibility. This teaches them essential skills for any work environment.
Development of fine motor skills: Gardening tasks like planting seeds, trimming plants, and using tools help students refine their motor coordination. These skills can translate into other vocational tasks that require dexterity and attention to detail.
Teamwork and communication: Group activities, such as working on a community garden, foster teamwork, communication, and socialization skills, which are essential for success in most jobs.
Workplace preparation: Many horticultural therapy programs integrate real-world vocational experiences by teaching students to work in nurseries, greenhouses, or other plant-based industries. This hands-on training equips them with marketable skills, improving their employment prospects in agriculture, landscaping, or garden retail.
Goal-setting and time management: The long-term nature of gardening (from planting to harvest) teaches students to set goals, track progress, and practice patience—skills that are directly transferable to the workplace.
3. Emotional and Cognitive Benefits
Stress reduction and emotional regulation: Working with plants has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, which can be particularly beneficial for students who struggle with emotional regulation. Being in nature and engaging in gardening helps them focus, reduces aggression, and promotes feelings of calm.
Problem-solving skills: Encountering issues like pest management, plant diseases, or weather changes encourages students to think critically and solve problems, reinforcing cognitive development.
4. Social Integration
Inclusive environments: Horticultural therapy often takes place in group settings, which promotes social interaction and cooperation. Working in teams to care for a garden fosters communication skills, relationship-building, and inclusion, especially for students who may otherwise struggle to connect with peers.
If you are interested to learn more or know a teacher who may be interested in outdoor classroom space, contact us anytime!
Message us through our website, email communityrootsohio@gmail.com, or text 740-263-7484
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