Program
Special Education M.A.
Year Approved
2019
First Advisor
Larson, Susan
Abstract
Meeting the sensory needs of students is often currently confined to classroom modifications. Teachers try to meet sensory, social, and emotional needs through human-developed methods such as fidgets, lighting covers, flexible seating, occupational therapy, and structuring activities. There is a growing body of research suggesting that sensory needs of students on the autism spectrum can be met through natural elements commonly found in outdoor environments. Frequently common barriers to success in the classroom for students with autism include, high anxiety, inability to sustain attention, and lack of motivation to complete tasks. The purpose of this thesis was to analyze way that adding natural elements into the classroom can meet the emotional, social and sensory needs of students with autism spectrum disorders.
Degree Name
Special Education M.A.
Document Type
Masterʼs thesis
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Mogren, A. M. (2019). How Nature Impacts the Social, Emotional, and Sensory Needs of Students on the Autism Spectrum [Masterʼs thesis, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/448