Breathe and bloom: a family-centered, nature-based therapy program to reduce stress in autistic children and their families
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Citation
Abstract
Chronic stress among autistic children and their families is a significant and under-addressed public health concern, contributing to negative long-term health, wellbeing, and participation outcomes for the family unit. Autistic children experience increased stress due to characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while families face increased emotional, physical, and social demands (Barakat et al., 2019; Yeh et al., 2023; Costa & Ferring, 2017). These challenges are further compounded by increased time spent in artificial environments, such as indoor spaces and technology, which limit opportunities for stress recovery (Slobodin et al., 2019; Menezes et al., 2023; Ulrich et al., 1991). Despite growing recognition of these factors, there remains a lack of holistic, family-centered interventions that explicitly target chronic stress in this population (Wei et al., 2019). This doctoral project sought to address this gap through the development of Breathe and Bloom, a family-centered, nature-based therapy program designed to reduce chronic stress among autistic children and their families. The program integrates nature-based activities, opportunities for co-regulation, parent education, and guided carry over activities to support stress management and the development of sustainable routines at home. Anticipated outcomes include decreased stress levels, improved parent–child relationships, enhanced co-regulation, increased time spent in natural environments, and decreased screen time. An overview of the problem, review of theories and relevant literature, program development, evaluation methods, and plans for dissemination and funding are described.
Description
2026