By Ashley Chatneuff | Communications Coordinator
Lettuces, peppers, and cabbage oh my! The Gardening Crew at CSS has been in full gear this spring. It’s been an exciting season as we battled the weather to ensure the success of this year’s crop of vegetables. Late cold spells didn’t dampen enthusiasm one bit as we started seedlings indoors and then began transplanting the moment it looked like we were safely free of winter. Gardeners still got some exciting late season frost warnings but the carefully tended plants are now thriving underneath the summer sun.
Individuals with autism may react differently to their environment and sometimes will over-react, or under-react, to stimuli involving touch, sight, sound, taste and smell. Instructional associates focus on activities to help program participants handle sensory stimuli, all while building communication and social skills. Gardening nurtures these skills while connecting the budding agricultural enthusiasts with nature. The full seedling to harvest process gives a sense of appreciation as we teach hands-on training while caring for our vegetables.
These valuable skills are also transferrable to finding employment opportunities. From landscape training to different watering and harvesting techniques CSS is thrilled to be able to continue our Healthy Living Skills program. It’s great to see the progress of our gardens as we augment individuals’ skillsets.
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