Identifying Inclusive Practices for Youth with ASD in an Outdoor Environmental Education Setting

This project aims to answer how outdoor environmental education programs (OEE) can be more inclusive for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through staff training, program design, and facilitation. The research focuses on what inclusive means in the context of OEE, how OEE programs benefit youth with autism, and what specific learning differences and pedagogical approaches need to be considered when designing and facilitating inclusive programs for youth with autism. The project created is a two-day professional development workshop for informal educators working in environmental education settings. The goal of the project is to provide instructional content that increases educators’ knowledge of ASD and evidence-based practices for working with youth with autism, equip educators with tools they can use when developing or modifying programs to be inclusive, and allow educators time to collaborate and develop a pilot program that puts into practice what they have learned throughout the workshop. The intended impacts of this project is to increase the necessary knowledge and skills among educators working in informal OEE settings and increase opportunities for meaningful participation for youth with autism