In January, West Essex AYLUS joined Blossoming in Nature to educate students and volunteers on helping special needs children, specially autistic children to enjoy outdoor activities. Blossoming in Nature is a high school students run nonprofit organization who focuses on bringing special needs children to hiking and other outdoor activities to enjoy nature.
The goals of Blossoming in Nature mainly focus on the following:
1. Promoting sensory experiences: Children with autism often experience sensory processing differences, and nature provides a wide range of sensory experiences, such as the feel of different textures, the sound of animals, and the smell of plants. We aim to expose children to these sensory experiences in a safe environment.
2. Encouraging physical activity: Spending time in nature often involves physical activity, such as hiking, which can improve overall health and well-being. We will aim to give chances for children to engage in physical activity in a natural setting.
3. Fostering socialization: Children with autism may have difficulty with social communication, and spending time in nature with peers and caregivers can provide a supportive environment for socialization. We will provide opportunities for children to socialize and build relationships with others.
4. Providing therapeutic benefits: Spending time in nature has been shown to have therapeutic benefits for individuals with autism, such as reducing stress and anxiety and improving mood. We will aim to provide a therapeutic environment for children to benefit from the natural surroundings.
Overall, we believe that exposing children with autism to nature will provide a positive and beneficial experience for these children that can improve their overall health, well-being, and quality of life.
West Essex members discussed with the founder of Blossoming in Nature and special needs families who participated in hiking events with Blossoming in Nature. Members asked questions regarding planning process, resource/budget, insurance requirement, potential treatment for meltdown and injures. West Essex members will continue serve special needs family in various activities.
West Essex members (1 hour each): Betty Lam, Qing Liu, Wei Sun, Zachary Sun, Ethan Yang, Evan Yang, Forest Yang, Jeffrey Yang, Min Zhang
