The Role of Horticulture Therapy in Autism Spectrum Disorder of Chinese Children

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a subtype of pervasive developmental disorder which mainly characterized by cognitive and communication impairments, often accompanied by symptoms such as social disorder, Stereotypical behavior, and Perceptual disorders, which not only affect the physical and mental health development of children but also brings a heavy burden to the families and society of patients. Horticultural therapy, as an ecological psychotherapeutic method, has more obvious and positive intervention effects on the above-mentioned symptoms in children with autism and has gradually gained attention in recent years. However, its application sites are mainly concentrated in special education schools and medical institutions, and it has not been widely used and promoted; its researchers are mainly concentrated in garden designers and special educators, with less participation from psychologists and horticultural therapists. This paper describes the current intervention methods and effects of horticultural therapy on the above three major impairment characteristics of children with autism in China, summarizes the application overview and progress of horticultural therapy, and gives some perspectives and recommendations for the following research.