At Solstice Behavioral Health & Counseling, we believe in delivering care using evidence-based practices while connecting with nature. Solstice believes in delivering evidence-based practices while connecting with nature. Our Nature’s Explorers social skills group is a program designed for children with autism and related neurodevelopmental disabilities to access learning opportunities that will promote growth and independence. Our trained therapists work with our children to identify areas of growth and develop personal social, and behavioral goals to be explored and worked on in a safe and non-threatening environment.
Solstice Behavioral Health’s Nature’s Explorers Program
Engaging with nature has been demonstrated to have significant benefits for children with autism. Interacting with nature provides them with the opportunity to build important skills such as caring for living things and their environment. Some of the benefits experienced by these children include:
- Those engaged in outdoor play build motor skills, developing agility, balance, and coordination.
- Playing with other children encourages cooperation and language skills.
- Observational skills, awareness, and reasoning have shown improvement through outdoor play.
- Stress levels are observed to be lower with time spent in nature.
- Children in natural environments tend to interact socially more.
Our Nature’s Explorers program takes place at Ridgeview Farm in Bethany, Connecticut. While here, they work together, engaging with farm life. This includes harvesting produce, caring for animals, and working together with their peers on mutual goals. Set in groups of 4-5 children, participants build relationships with each other and the animals they engage with. These programs are available at different times based on the time of year:
- Fall & Spring Programs
- M-F 3:30 pm-6 pm
- Weekend Groups run for eight weeks (Contact for times)
- Summer Sessions
- 9 am -12 pm M-F
- 1 pm – 4 pm M-F
We’re proud to collaborate with Ridgeview Farm to provide this opportunity to your family.
Reach Out To Solstice Behavioral Health to Learn More
Social skills groups provide a tremendous amount of benefits for our learners. Solstice Behavioral Health & Consulting is dedicated to helping children develop essential living skills and programs like Nature’s Explorers give them the opportunity to practice and interact with nature, animals, peers, and leadership. If you are interested in providing additional opportunities for your child to engage with others and be active in participating in a group experience, call to schedule your visit and meet our staff. Or, visit our facility off Rt. 8, I-95 Connector, and Rt. 15 in the Scinto towers just 5 minutes from Sikorsky.
