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Outdoor learning

Nurtured by nature
Teaching outdoors is said
by many whove tried it to
be especially beneficial
for children with autism.
Fiona McNeill looks at
schools that try to make
the most of outdoor
opportunities, as well as
equipment to enhance
the open-air experience
26 Au t i s m | e y e I s s u e 2 3 2 0 1 6

When Victorian poet William

Wordsworth went for a walk in the
Lake District, he was so entranced
by the beauty of the countryside
around him that he knocked up a
few verses on it. The host, of
golden daffodils he described now
belongs to one of the best-known
poems in the English language.
You cant help wondering: if
Wordsworth were alive today,
would he be out and about getting
fresh air and inspiration or lying on
the sofa looking at videos of
flowers on his smart phone?
According to some
environmentalists and education
experts, the more we rely on

technology in modern life, the

greater our need to get outside
and engage with the natural world.
Spending time in fields,
gardens, woodlands or by the sea,
they say, reduces stress and
improves wellbeing, concentration
and creativity.

Natural world
Taking part in outdoor activities is
thought to be particularly beneficial
for kids on the autistic spectrum.
With this in mind, some schools for
children with an ASD have
incorporated outdoor learning into
their curriculum. In fact, working
with the natural world is a
www.autismeye.com

Weve had some

learners whove
found the classroom
environment so
claustrophobic that
they would smash
windows to escape
fundamental part of the ethos of
one education provider, Ruskin Mill
Trust. It operates a school and
several further education colleges
for young people with learning
www.autismeye.com

disabilities and behavioural

disorders, as well as autism.
Students work on biodynamic
farms (similar to organic farms) to
grow crops and look after animals.
This provides food for staff,
students and their cafes, which are
open to the public.
At some sites students produce
craft items, in keeping with the
traditions of the local community,
and these are also sold to the
public. In the Horsley Valley,
Gloucestershire, for example, the
students do willow work, woodwork
and pottery.
Students harvest clay from the
creek and work outdoors to shape

Sense of
freedom:
children can
be calmer
outdoors and
use their gross
motor skills
while learning

it into items for firing, says Dan

Alipaz, director of PSTE (Practical
Skills Therapeutic Education) at the
Trust. They see where it comes
from, which is so much better than
a teacher in a classroom just giving
them a slab of clay.
It takes time and attention to
make something, which gives them
a sense of creation.

Great relief
Working outdoors is a great relief
to many students, Alipaz explains.
Weve had some learners whove
found the classroom environment
so claustrophobic that they would
smash windows to escape, he
Au t i s m | e y e I s s u e 2 3 2 0 1 6 27

Outdoor learning

Learning
outdoors works
very well for children
on the spectrum as
they usually need a
practical link to what
theyre studying
Al fresco features:
grass seating,
a sensory light
cube, a light and
sound archway,
and tactile panels
from Timotay
Playscapes

says. But our woodworking hut, for

example, is just a roof there are
no walls or doors and they usually
cope much better with that.
Students reinvigorate their
relationship with nature, he
concludes. Its a very powerful
journey for them. They come here
thinking, I cant really do anything
and leave with skills.

Forestry skills
Two other schools with an outdoor
ethos are LVS Hassocks and LVS
Oxford, based in West Sussex and
Oxfordshire respectively. Students
here grow plants and vegetables,
look after chickens and learn basic
forestry skills, selling their produce
and learning how to use tools
safely. If children are interested,
they might be encouraged to find

Feeling happier and healthier and learning more, too

Victoria
Wilcher:
For a child
with autism
and sensory
overload, the
space is
freeing

www.autismeye.com

The Council for Learning Outside

the Classroom is a charity that
promotes all kinds of educational
experiences away from the
classroom, such as being outdoors
or going to museums and galleries.
All children do better outside
the classroom, but children with
special needs show the most
marked improvement, says
communications manager Victoria
Wilcher. So much of what they
learn in the classroom is indefinite,
but in other environments it
becomes real.
For example, they could
measure the plants theyve grown
in the school garden or draw a
huge map of the solar system on
the playground. For a child with
autism and sensory overload, the
space is freeing.
Natural Connections, a fouryear study commissioned by

So much of
what they learn
in the classroom is
indefinite, but in other
environments it
becomes real

the organisation, analysed the

advantages of outdoor learning for
school children of all abilities and
concluded in April this year.
It found that 92 per cent of teachers
who took part thought children were
more engaged with learning while
outdoors, and 90 per cent of the
children said they felt happier and
healthier as a result.
Wilcher believes that society as
a whole is becoming more aware
of the benefits of taking children
outside the classroom, though
schools can be put off by time and
money constraints or health-andsafety paperwork.
Parents can also be put off, but
it doesnt have to be an expensive
day out, she says. You can start
small with a trip to the park, or
potting plants on your window sill.

l www.lotc.org.uk
Au t i s m | e y e I s s u e 2 3 2 0 1 6 29

Outdoor learning

Ruskin Mill Trusts Practical Skills Therapeutic Education method enables

young people aged 7 25 to overcome barriers to learning, become
skilled and return to their communities with greater independence.

Ive changed big-time since I started here. Jonathan, Ruskin Mill College
It is brilliant here because I can come out of my shell. Ben, Coleg Plas Dwbl
Ive built up a lot of confidence. I love it on the boat. Jacob, Glasshouse College
I am very blessed to be here at Argent College... this gives me hope for the world. Gareth, Argent College
I am in Fusion Caf doing work experience and a BTEC in cooking. Yavanah, Freeman College
We looked at safety clothing... that gave me the idea of making a coat. Richard, Brantwood Specialist School

To find out
morewebsite:
come and see us
at the Autism Shows:
Visit
our
www.rmt.org
LONDON: Stand C16 BIRMINGHAM: C9 MANCHESTER: B12
Or
call Admissions on 01453 837 502
www.rmt.org

Sand, sarnies
and sticks:
outdoor
activities that
LVS Hassocks
hosts at school
or helps pupils
to enjoy on
trips away

Working with people with autism for 30 years

Ruskin Mill Trust is a charity which draws its inspiration from the insights of Rudolf Steiner, John Ruskin and William Morris. Charity No: 1137167

www.autismeye.com

Sensory issues
for example
with noise bouncing
off walls or being too
close to other people
are less likely to
occur outside

work experience looking after

horses or small animals, which
helps them to develop empathy
and respect.

Practical link
Learning outdoors works very well
for children on the spectrum as
they usually need a practical link
to what theyre studying, says
Sarah Sherwood, director of SEN at
the schools.

The physical space of being

outside means they dont feel as
crowded as they might do in a
classroom and they can move
around if they need to. Sensory
issues for example with noise
bouncing off walls or being too
close to other people are less
likely to occur outside.
This freedom helps children to
be more aware of when theyre
getting overloaded, she says, but
Au t i s m | e y e I s s u e 2 3 2 0 1 6 31

Design & Building

Inspirational Sensory Gardens

Outdoor learning

AUTU
M
SPEC N
IAL
OFFE
R

Further reading
l Richard Louv,
an American
author and
journalist,
has written a
number of books
stressing the
importance of
encouraging
children to connect with nature.
His latest, Vitamin N: The
Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich
Life, suggests 500 ways of getting
kids outdoors. Its published by
Atlantic Books in the UK and
Algonquin Books in the US and
is available on Amazon, priced at
12.08/$11.37 (paperback).
You can visit Louvs website at
www.richardlouv.com

4 x Music Bundle
1,416.00

Sunlight Archway
499.00

Outdoor Grass Sofa

699.99

Sensory products online

*All Prices Exclude VAT & Delivery

Sensory Light Cube Tunnel

649.00

Order on 01933 665151 Use code AUT16 to take advantage of this offer
Timotay design & install bespoke outdoor play and sensory gardens.

Autism Eye Half Page August 2016.indd 1

18/08/2016 11:06:18

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Practical
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because theyre using gross motor

skills they tend to be calmer.
Mostly, she adds, theyre acquiring
knowledge without even realising it.

Sensory areas
Many other schools for children
with autism provide outdoor play
areas with special features to
engage their pupils. One company
that designs and builds such areas

CONTACTS
l LVS Hassocks and LVS Oxford:
www.lvs-hassocks.org.uk, www.lvs-oxford.org.uk
l Ruskin Mill Trust: www.rmt.org
l Timotay Playscapes: www.timotayplayscapes.co.uk
www.autismeye.com

Its all about

inclusion and
encouraging positive
interaction
is Timotay Playscapes, and it often
incorporates sensory areas to
increase the childrens enjoyment
of the outdoors experience. The
firms light and sound archway, for
instance, is constructed with
coloured panels that let through
light and bells and small instruments
for sound. Plants that are soft to
touch or that rustle as you pass or

give off a pleasing fragrance are

also incorporated. Even so, the
focus is on enabling children with
autism or learning difficulties to
enjoy the areas with their
neurotypical classmates and
families, says Eve Edwards,
playground designer with the
company. Its all about inclusion
and encouraging positive
interaction, she says.
For example, we designed a
garden for a boy called Archie who
had autism and was also in a
wheelchair. He hadnt been able to
go outside at all, but with his new
garden he could spend one-on-one
time there with his parents.
Au t i s m | e y e I s s u e 2 3 2 0 1 6 33