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Occupational Therapy in a Nature-based Setting: A Sensory and Motor Perspective

By: Chelsea Rueda

Introduction

Introduction

  • Pediatric Occupational Therapist
  • Love of the outdoors
  • Positive affects of the outdoor environment had on my daughter as she develops

Evidence Based Project

  • Nature-based school
  • Sensory and Motor development
  • Achievement on Milestones

Project Type

Image from Sheppard, 2018

Project Purpose

  • Improve the sensory and motor development of school age children during nature-based play activities within their outdoor school environment for increased achievement of developmental milestones.

Project

Purpose

Literature Search

Literature

Review

  • Search Sites:
  • APA PsycInfo, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, EBSCOhost, Education Research, MEDLINE Complete, Psychology, and Behavioral Sciences Collection
  • Keywords:
  • Outdoor, play, Nature-based, Child

Development, Occupational Therapy, Sensory Processing, Motor Development, and Preschool.

  • Article Levels

Level I: 2

Level II: 1

Level III: 5

Level IV: 2

Level V: 2

Level VI: 6

Level VII: 1

Key Topics and Supporting Evidence

  • Outdoor Play
  • Sensory Development
  • Motor Development
  • Strategies & Activities
  • Occupational Therapist Perspective

Key Topics

  • Parson, 2011
  • Woolley and Lowe,2013
  • Dankiw et al., 2020

  • Various components affecting outdoor play
  • Fosters creativity, imagination, social connection, and physical and sensory development

Outdoor Play

Sensory & Motor Development

  • Karanulut, 2013
  • Hanscom, 2016
  • Lundy and Trawick-Smith, 2021

Sensory

& Motor

Strategies and Activities

Lix, 2020; White, 2010; Hussein, 2010; Hunter, 2018)

  • Various terrain
  • Active Games
  • Messy play
  • Chewing
  • Providing areas to hide, building forts

Strategies & Activities

Occupational Therapist

Perspective

OT

AOTA, 2020

  • Expertise to assess a child's overall development and promote independence in daily activities
  • Multi-sensory approach
  • Modifications and experiences to promote a child's engagement and participation

Limitations to Research

  • Research Discussed benefits of outdoor play and incorporation into traditional school settings.
  • Nature-based schools
  • Optimal assessments for the outdoor setting

Gaps

Project Process

  • Literature Review & Project purpose developed
  • Observations, interview completed
  • Needs assessment survey developed and disseminated
  • Stake holder Presentation
  • 30 page Binder Developed and disseminated to stakeholder

Project

Process

Why?

Why

Star Child Nature School

  • School year program
  • Serves children 2 1/2- 7 years old
  • Outdoor classroom through all seasons
  • Educators are from varying educational backgrounds

Stakeholders

Project Content

Content

Implications

Future

Implications

  • Expanding the Role of Occupational Therapy
  • Future Research Opportunities
  • Increased Assessment

Occupational Therapy

Role

OT Role

  • Expands the role of an occupational therapy in an non-traditional educational setting.
  • Breakdown in occupational performance affecting skill attainment
  • Provide education
  • Specialized activities and strategies for a child
  • Provide environmental and activity modifications

Future Research &

Supports

Future

Research

  • Nature-based education on the whole child development
  • Assessments for nature based settings
  • Traditional program vs. non-traditional educational program
  • Curriculum Development

References

American Occupational Therapy Association (2020). OTPF Occupational therapy practice

framework: Domain and process—Fourth edition. The American Journal of Occupational

Therapy, 74(Supplement_2). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74s2001

Bautista, A., Moreno-Núñez, A., Vijayakumar, P., Quek, E., & Bull, R. (2020). Gross motor

teaching in preschool education: where, what and how do Singapore educators

teach?(Enseñanza de la motricidad gruesa en educación infantil:¿ dónde, qué y cómo

enseñan las maestras en Singapur?). Journal for the Study of Education and

Development, 43(2), 443-482.

Dankiw, K. A., Tsiros, M. D., Baldock, K. L., & Kumar, S. (2020). The impacts of unstructured

nature play on health in early childhood development: A systematic review. PloS

one, 15(2), e0229006.

15

Ernst, J. A. (2012). Early childhood nature play: A needs assessment of Minnesota licensed

childcare providers. Journal of Interpretation Research, 17(1), 7-24.

Hanscom, A. J. (2016). Balanced and barefoot: How unrestricted outdoor play makes for strong,

confident,and capable children. New Harbinger Publications.

Hussein, H. (2010). Using the sensory garden as a tool to enhance the educational development and

social interaction of children with special needs. Support for Learning, 25(1), 25-31.

Hunter, M. (2018). Sensory Strategies Outside of School. PALAESTRA, 32(4).

Liu, X. (2020). Healthy Designed Environments for Preschool Children: Investigating Ways to

Optimize the Restoration Experience in Nature-Based Outdoor Play

Environments (Doctoral dissertation, Clemson University).

Lundy, A., & Trawick-Smith, J. (2021). Effects of active outdoor play on preschool children’s

on-task classroom behavior. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(3), 463-471.

Karabulut, H. (2013). The neuro-building blocks of learning: Improving school readiness and

overcoming learning difficulties. Journal of Education and Future, (4), 1.

Palmer, K. K., Miller, A. L., Meehan, S. K., & Robinson, L. E. (2020). The Motor skills At Playtime intervention improves children's locomotor skills: A feasibility study. Child:

care, health, and development, 46(5), 599-606.

Parsons, A. (2011). Young children and nature: Outdoor play and development, experiences

fostering environmental consciousness, and the implications on playground

design (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Tech).

Sheppard, M. (2018). Our teachers.Star Child Nature School. Retrieved from

https://www.starchildnatureschool.com/our-teachers

Woolley, H. and Lowe, A. (2013) Exploring the Relationship between Design Approach and

Play Value of Outdoor Play Spaces. Landscape Research, 38 (1), 53-74. ISSN 0142-6397

References

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