Interactive Gardening Intervention for Preschoolers With Developmental Delays: A Family-Centered Feasibility Study

This pilot study examined the feasibility and preliminary effects of an interactive, family-centered gardening intervention on social functioning, sensory integration, and caregiver-related outcomes among preschool children with developmental delays and their caregivers. A nonrandomized controlled pretest–posttest design was conducted in an outpatient rehabilitation setting. Sixty caregiver–child dyads were allocated to an intervention group (n = 30) or a routine-care control group (n = 30). The intervention consisted of 6 weekly 40-minute gardening sessions combined with home-based activities. Outcomes included caregiver stress (Parenting Stress Index–Short Form), parenting efficacy (Parenting Sense of Competence Scale), children’s social functioning (Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory–Chinese version), and sensory integration (Child Sensory Integration Scale). Program satisfaction and caregiver feedback were also collected following intervention completion. Social functioning improved within the intervention group (mean change, 3.34 ± 9.47; p = .007), but not in controls (1.72 ± 13.56; p = .269). No significant changes were observed in sensory integration or caregiver-related outcomes, although caregivers reported program satisfaction and perceived improvements in parent–child interaction and child engagement. The findings suggest that a family-centered gardening intervention is feasible, well accepted, and may serve as a complementary approach to support social participation in early childhood rehabilitation.