Autism, the outdoors, and forestry
by Patricia
As promised in my blog post earlier this week, I am blogging today to share some information about an organization that has gone out of its way to meet the unique needs of individuals with autism — even in the great outdoors.
For years, the Cradle of Forestry has been helping people better understand local ecology through recreation and educational opportunities. Now, the Cradle of Forestry has partnered with the Autism Society of
North Carolina to increase the accessibility of their programs. Cradle of Forestry’s web site describes their specially designed Adventure Zone like this:
… a collective of hands-on activities (indoor and outdoors) that were designed to help children and adults with autism become active in the outdoors and gain a better understanding about the natural world. The Adventure Zone activities were created to be exciting for everyone! The maps and schedules we’ve added were designed to make these fun activities accessible for people on the autism spectrum, but the Zone is open to anyone who is interested in experiencing fun in the great outdoors.
What a great example — an organization stepping up to meet the needs of people with autism. Accessibility for outdoor activities is generally good, but the real world can present with a few barriers (barking dogs, busy traffic). How great that some organizations are attempting to meet the unique needs of individuals with autism — even in the great outdoors. And as it states in their literature, The Adventure Zone is open to anyone.
If North Carolina is on your list of places to visit (or if you are lucky enough to live locally) maybe you should put the Adventure Zone on your list of “must-sees.”