Cognitive benefits of nature for children and adolescents with intellectual development disorder

Numerous studies have shown that contact with nature can have positive effects on the mental health of young people. However, this is the first study to examine the benefits of exposure to nature on attention and working memory in children and adolescents with intellectual development disorder (IDD). The 43 participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups based on the content of the exposure: nature, urban, or geometric shapes. The exposure was provided through a three-minute video. To measure performance, the young participants completed two tests of the WISC-V: the Barrage Test and the Number Memory Test. The objective of this study was to compare the attentional and working memory performance of children with IDD before and after exposure to different types of content. The results indicate that natural exposure improved their attentional and memory (only in reverse order) performance. Additionally, the children showed a clear preference for natural content over the other two exposures. These findings suggest that institutions taking care of children and adolescents with IDD should consider incorporating more natural spaces to provide restorative benefits in their daily lives and school careers.