Nature's Touch: Boosting Patience and Joy in Children with Autism Through Outdoor Adventures

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Ever wonder how a simple walk in the park could transform your child's mood and patience, especially if they are on the autism spectrum? Join us for an eye-opening discussion on the incredible benefits of outdoor activities for children. We'll guide you through engaging ways to introduce your kids to nature—from planting gardens to bird watching. Learn how sensory experiences can enhance not only their listening skills but also their emotional well-being. We offer practical tips to help even the most reluctant children find joy and comfort in the great outdoors, emphasizing the strong, positive impact of family involvement.

Remember the days when we felt more connected even with corded phones? Let’s take a nostalgic trip back to simpler times and rediscover the joy of unplugging from our devices. With summer’s fleeting days, it’s the perfect season to cherish quality time with loved ones. We share heartfelt wishes for a memorable summer filled with meaningful connections, recommending activities like playing games, creating chalk art, and enjoying family picnics. Tune in for valuable insights and tips on how to make the most of your summer, strengthening bonds and creating lasting memories with your family and friends.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi everyone.
I hope you're having a good daytoday and things are going well
.
Today I'm going to talk aboutsummer and the outdoors and our
kids that are on the spectrum.
It's good for our kids to beoutside and enjoy the
environment.
I realize that we're everywhere, it doesn't matter where you

(00:22):
live.
Our summers are getting hotterand hotter, so we have to be
very careful of that.
But even if we take themoutside for just a few minutes
and let them enjoy theenvironment a little bit, get
away from the iPads and phonesand the TVs and put their head

(00:43):
up and look around If your childis not liking the outdoors or
spending time on the outdoors,then maybe you can do some
things to kind of help with that.
One thing is that they need touse all their senses and you too
, so you know, have them feelthe dirt, and how you can do

(01:08):
that is maybe have them plantsomething.
There's a lot of kits out therethat you can buy where they
paint the outside and then theyplant the seeds and then then
they go out every day and justkind of feel it, watch it grow
and water it, take care of itand talk about the.
You know that it needs sun andit needs water in order to grow,

(01:28):
and maybe you're going to plantflowers or you can even plant
some food or something.
If you have a little gardenwhere you plant vegetables, have
them be involved in that.
There was an article in the Autparents that has.
They did some research and itshows that if kids are outside

(01:50):
and enjoying their environmentthat they will become calmer and
better listeners, more patienceand less irritable.
So the outdoors is veryimportant.
When, when we were kids, wealways went outside, it didn't
matter.
I mean, we couldn't wait to getoutside.
Nowadays, kids do not enjoy theoutdoors as much as they used

(02:13):
to.
And you can do other things too, like look at the birds or the
squirrels or things that areoutside and that, and then do
stories around them and maybe,if they're looking at squirrels,
find a squirrel story and sharethat with them, kind of bring
it to to life and then talkabout their environment, where

(02:35):
they live and what they like toeat.
Those are some things that youcan do to help them to learn
about what's outside.
Like I said, I know that there'stimes that it's too hot.
Maybe have to do it in themorning, or you maybe do it in
the evening hours If they areafraid of the outdoors.
Just pick an area that you goto every single time so they can

(03:00):
get comfortable and not feelfrightened, and then maybe
venture it out a little bit.
Parks are a good place to go todo a little walk or something
like that Maybe just around yourneighborhood and talk about all
the stuff around yourneighborhood the colors of the
houses, the numbers on thehouses, things that they can

(03:21):
learn as they are enjoying theenvironment, houses, things that
they can learn as they areenjoying the environment.
Talk about, like I said, allthe colors.
If you see different colors offlowers, or the texture, how one
leaf feels, or while one treefeels and another one maybe feel
a little bit different, or howthe leaves are different on
different trees, or somethingthat you can do when we get to

(03:43):
the fall, if you live in an areathat the leaves change colors,
you can do different craftsideas with the leaves.
Like I said, use your senses andlet them use their senses.
You want to help them to beless fearful of the outside or
you also want to help them toenjoy the outdoors.

(04:04):
You can get chalk and do chalkart outside.
Or, like I said, there's kitsyou can buy to do planting or
growing of roots or vegetables,or you can do flowers, things
like that, make a flower bed.
Those are some things that theycan get outside and do and they

(04:25):
can do it for every day.
For just a few minutes is allit takes, really.
If you just want to go outsidefor 10, 15 minutes or just to
play a game, you know, hit theball or play basketball, those
are some other things that youcan do too.
But before you do thoseactivities, just have them enjoy

(04:47):
, see if they can spot abutterfly or a bird or a
squirrel or something like that.
Have them enjoy that.
Always take some pictures asyou do it too, and then have
them look at those pictures andsay, you know, to help them
review what they did the daybefore and what they experienced

(05:09):
and stuff, so they can enjoythat experience.
I always use positivereinforcements, you know, praise
them for being outside for alittle bit, get away from their
laptops or computers or whateverthey're on, and it's a way for
us to kind of stretch out andkind of enjoy the environment,
breathe some fresh air, get somesunlight, because we all can

(05:32):
use that a little bit, and it'shealthy for all of us to do that
.
And then, as the times go byand we get a little bit cooler,
you can stay out a little bitlonger and enjoy the weather
when it gets nice out again.
But being in the environmenthelps our kids in so many ways,
because they're so connected nowto our technology that we're

(05:57):
losing our kids to enjoy theenvironment.
Maybe you're the kind offamilies that do picnics outside
or barbecues.
Make sure they're out thereenjoying it with you.
Give them a job or something todo.
Set the table, pour some drinks, watch dad or grandpa barbecue
on there, help them serve, getthem involved in it.

(06:20):
Don't just ignore them andthey're sitting in a chair with
electronics no electronicsoutside and you do the same
thing.
Leave them inside.
It's not the end of the world.
Whoever needs to get a hold ofyou will get a hold of you
eventually.
So where you're enjoying eachother as a family or friends and
things like that, they'retalking and interacting with

(06:42):
other playing games.
We need to do that with ourkids and we don't.
We lose touch with our kids inour own home because we're on
our computers or we're on ourelectronics or TV or whatever
we're doing and so we lose thatconnection.
And that's.
This is a great time during thesummertime to kind of get that

(07:03):
connection back.
I don't know if any of you camp, but when you're camping I
realize you have to take yourphones and things with you for
certain things, but spend a partof the day without them and
just enjoy your family and beobservant of what they're doing
and help them to interact withyou.
Maybe you're going fishing orsomething like that.

(07:23):
Take one phone and just put itin the pocket and only need it
if it's an emergency orsomething.
Those are some ideas that Ihave for this summer.
I think it's very important toengage our kids into the
environment.
I think it will help in allareas for them and it will help
you too to maybe betterunderstand your child and your

(07:45):
child understand you and theenvironment.
And it's just a break from theelectronics.
I mean, if you stop and thinkabout it, don't we get a little
tired of them?
They're always connected tothat.
My day we had a cord.
It kind of shows how old I am.
We had a cord that was to awall and I thought we were

(08:06):
connected more that way, butwe're not.
We're more connected to ourphones without the cord than we
are with the cord.
So, anyway, take some time andenjoy the outdoors, enjoy the
time with your child, enjoy thetime with environment and and
your friends and your family,and have a great summer.

(08:26):
Won't be long in school we'llbe starting again, and so that
life will get busier and in adifferent way than it is this
summer.
So have some fun and I wish youguys all the very, very best.
I'll talk to you soon.
Bye.