Neurodiversity and The Outdoors
By: Macy Pilkington
As I sit down to write this article….less than 24 hours before my deadline….I ask myself; do I enjoy the pressure? Or does my brain just work a little bit differently?
I come from a long line of “ADHD-ers”, though I am the only female in my family that gets to wear that crown. And whether or not I actually believe in such a diagnoses….there is no denying that we all function a little differently.
Some of us like lists. We feel satisfied when we get to check off boxes and call it a job well done. Some of us scribble notes on napkins or the backs of our hands. Some of us like clutter. We know where everything is, whether or not things appear tidy from the outside. Some of us need a place for everything and everything in its place. Some of us can’t sit still. Others can meditate in stillness for hours. By now, you can likely guess which camp I’m in.
School was hard for me. There were deadlines, there were 2-4 hour sessions of sitting at a desk in a room staring at a blackboard and more work to be done once the school day had ended. I didn’t know that I had ADHD until I was in my late twenties. I just thought that learning was hard and school was boring. I didn’t realize that my brain chemistry had me constantly seeking dopamine. That all of my senses were heightened and I could take in stimuli from all directions at once. Attention Deficit Disorder? More like Awareness Abundance Gift!
It has been said that those with ADHD, as well as those on the Autism Spectrum, tend to be more creative; artists, musicians, writers. The ability to think outside of the box is amplified. My experience as a teacher has solidified these ideas in my mind. I have seen children come up with the most round-about ways to solve a math equation…and I celebrate that. I once had a student copy every word of a paragraph onto her paper…..a perfect, upside down, mirror image of what I had written. My mind was blown and I watched in awe as she continued to surprise and inspire me. Without fail, the children that take the most time to complete an assignment will spend as much time or more on a drawing or engaged in creative play.
So why do those children that cannot sit still, that think differently, that thrive amongst clutter (and may or may not have some notes scribbled on the backs of their hands) get punished for bad behavior? It’s simple. We, as teachers, don’t have the training to know how to serve such radical thinkers. But I can tell you this with certainty….Nature does.
Which brings me to the title of this article: 5 Reasons Why Nature School is for Everyone.
- “Not all classrooms have four walls” Want to know the fastest way to see an outside-the-box thinker explode? Put them inside of one. For the neurotypical mind, a quiet, peaceful study area lends itself well to focus. No distractions. Just the teachers voice, maybe a textbook and no windows to draw their attention away from its intended target. The thought of a space like that makes my skin crawl. As I mentioned above, a cornerstone of ADHD is the constant quest for dopamine. Our brains are literally wired for it. Distractions = Dopamine. We crave novelty and stimulation. Novelty like a bird we have never seen before calling to us from a tree nearby. Novelty like a creek bed that was once dry, now flush with flowing water. Experiencing this level of sensory stimulation actually helps us focus…believe it or not!
- As much as we “ADHD-ers” crave Novelty, we also crave freedom. And I don’t know about you….but my memories of school do not exactly equate to that. There are times when children with Autism or ADHD can feel trapped inside of their own bodies. The experience of stillness can lead to mental overwhelm. That is why, at Earthroots, we let them move when they need to move. As much as my ego would like complete participation in morning circle, I recognize that some children just aren’t ready to arrive yet. So I let them do what they need to do to get there. One of my students needs to have a snack during circle time. One needs to balance on a log a few feet away from circle in order to get himself ready to engage. I accept that. As much as I would love for every student in my class to write down every single equation or sentence I have prepared for them, I understand that one to two sentences, done well, is more than enough for some children to accomplish. There is a sense of spaciousness when we have class outdoors. A sense of openness and freedom that allows us to absorb more than we could indoors.
- “Idle hands are the devils playground” This is an old adage that I know all too well, and one that handwork remedies beautifully. Keeping the hands occupied quiets the mind, and those with divergent thinking patterns often excel in focus when movement is included. At Earthroots we strive to engage the whole child. We love doing things with our hands. Whether it is making a bow and arrow, fire by friction, nature weaving or making herbal medicines, there is one thing I observe on a consistent basis. Children that have a hard time sitting still through math or language arts lessons tend to have the tidiest stitch, the most consistent grip and spin on their fire spindle, and the most engagement during handwork lessons. I see them light up and take pride in such tangible, visible results, often finishing first and taking the initiative to help their struggling classmates. Busy hands build confidence.
- Have you ever sat in a class doodling? All the while, retaining every ounce of what is being said? No? Well I have. And I can tell you that my hands need to be occupied in order for me to listen, and listen well. I have children in my classes that will sit, back turned, rubbing two sticks together while I am working hard to engage everyone in story. To the untrained eye, that child’s actions might be construed as disrespectful. But ask him for even the most minute detail from the story, and he will recite the whole thing, word for word. Being able to reach for a rock and roll it around in your hand while you listen, or to build a small hut out of sticks while I share the directions for main lesson can be the difference between understanding and feeling completely lost. I honor that. Why spend money on a plastic fidget spinner that will sit in a landfill for decades when you have an abundance of natural objects within reach?
- Have you ever heard of “Oppositional Defiance Disorder”? Just those words alone may bring someone to the forefront of your mind. Maybe it is a coworker who always chooses to do the exact opposite of what you ask. Maybe it’s your kiddo who outright refuses to clean his room, to do his homework or to take out the trash. Again, I will say that whether or not I believe in such a diagnoses….we are all different. We all respond differently to authority figures. And authority figures all respond differently to opposition. As a relatively new teacher, I am learning how to work with oppositional behavior in a way that circumvents the typical idea of discipline. I seek guidance directly from the parents of the children who have been entrusted in my care and I have learned a lot in doing so. My biggest takeaway is this; often times, the root of behavioral issues actually lies within the body. Taking away free time, sitting down for a time out or writing sentences over and over again simply will not get the desired result. Do you know what does? Asking these children for help with a meaningful task that includes physical exertion. Together, I will work with these students to clear our classroom area of large sticks and rocks, or to line a pathway with stones so that it looks more welcoming. I have also found that these children thrive when asked to help those younger than them with a task or assignment. THEY want to be the authority. THEY want autonomy and independence. And I try to offer that to them whenever I can.
As I work to become a better mentor and educator, I look to Nature for guidance. The simple act of being outdoors has taught me more than any traditional schooling ever could. I recognize that my influence is small in comparison to just being outside and I celebrate that. I am grateful that programs exist now that I could not have dreamed of in my youth, and that I get to be a part of that movement. Let me distill an otherwise verbose blog post down to this: Nature is for everyone.
