‘Forest School is muddy and I like it’: Perspectives of young children with autism spectrum disorders, their parents and educational professionals

Background: Forest School was introduced in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe in the 1950s and became a part of the Danish Early Years curriculum in the 1980s as a way of supporting children to understand the natural world while learning academic and practical skills. Since the introduction of the first Forest School in the United Kingdom (UK) in the early 1990s its popularity has been increasing. Method: The context of the study was an inner city special school catering for children with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties or autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aim was to explore the views of young children with ASD, parents and educational professionals about their Forest School experience. Four children, their parents and two educational professionals participated. All of the children had a primary diagnosis of ASD and additional severe learning difficulties. Thematic analysis of the data was carried out. Findings: Common themes which emerged were learning outcomes and the benefits of engaging in challenge and risk-taking. Additional common themes were experiencing success (parents/professionals) and the opportunity to make friends (children). When asked how Forest School made them feel the children were able to articulate or depict a range of subtly differentiated emotions. Conclusions: The indications from this small-scale, exploratory study are that Forest School has the potential to offer positive academic, social and practical experiences to young children with ASD. The need for larger scale research is indicated and the employment of flexible and creative methodologies is recommended.