Sensory processing is how the brain receives and organizes stimuli from the environment. Information from the sensory system allows individuals to engage with the environment. Children with sensory processing differences often demonstrate decreased participation or decreased occupational performance. This project development capstone aimed to explore how evidence-based interventions applied in the context of a sensory garden can be used a improve sensory regulation to enhance activity participation. The inclusive pediatric sensory garden project development was implemented with six school-aged children. The intervention consisted of four, 30-minute interventions over a 1-week timeframe. Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) was used a a pre- and post-test measure to determine the effectiveness of sensory regulation principles in a sensory garden to improve activity participation. Most participants demonstrated progress toward their identified goals and all participants rated the program favorably. No statistical significance was found between the pretest and posttest GAS scores. This project development demonstrates how a sensory garden and nature can be used as a supportive environment for sensory regulation and activity participation and to build social skills.
