Exploring Horticultural Therapy for Neurodivergent Populations Across the Lifespan
Exploring Horticultural Therapy for Neurodivergent Populations Across the Lifespan
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Issue Date
2025-10
Authors
Dhillon, Henna
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Abstract
In this capstone I explored the therapeutic possibilities of horticultural therapy (HT) for neurodivergent populations, specifically autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A systematic literature review was conducted of three topics as themes: Benefits of Horticultural Therapy; Understanding Neurodivergent Needs; and Horticultural Therapy Across the Lifespan. The primary research question of this project was: How can HT be adapted to effectively promote social, emotional, and cognitive development for neurodivergent individuals, with attention to autism and ADHD? I hypothesized that HT interventions designed with sensory regulation, executive functioning, and group format accessibility in mind would yield benefits related to emotional wellbeing, social learning, and attention. The methods included a systematic review and thematic synthesis across roughly forty peer-reviewed articles, meta-analyses, feasibility studies, and applied program reports. There was no collection of original human-subject data. The literature reviewed indicated that HT reduces anxiety, depression, and stress across populations, improves executive function and attentional capacity related to ADHD, and promotes social connection and cooperative learning among autistic participants. The research reviewed also indicated that both indoor and telehealth models produced enhanced accessibility to programming, and participation was influenced by both cultural and ecological contexts. This indicates that HT is an adaptable and inclusive intervention that can and does accommodate neurodivergent needs. This study contributes to counselling practice by offering evidenced-based recommendations on how to design accessible, neurodiversity-affirming HT programs. As an application of this research, a 4-session workshop was developed to demonstrate a way of translating these findings into practice.
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Keywords
horticultural therapy , neurodivergence , autism , ADHD , sensory processing , executive function
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States , openAccess