Neurodiversity and nature’s many benefits
April 8, 2025
Did you know that neurodiversity celebration week recently took place in March?
A growing part of our engagement and outreach work has been connecting with children, as well as adults, with neurodiversity.
‘Neurodiversity’ refers to the natural diversity in human brains. Neurodivergence is the term for when someone’s brain processes, learns, or behaves differently from what is considered ‘typical’ and conditions include dyslexia, dyspraxia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC).
It’s estimated that around one in seven people in the UK are neurodivergent.
A widening body of research shows nature can be a powerful force that can have a positive impact on the lives of neurodivergent people.
We recently worked with Chichester Boys Club and the outreach team at Chichester Festival Theatre to organise a day of nature connection and storytelling at a beautiful heathland. The boys have autism and were aged between 18 and 30 years old.
It was a wonderful, uplifting day, to say the least.
Angela Watkins, Youth and Outreach Project Manager at Chichester Festival Theatre, says: “Being in the open air, on our local heathland, brought a calm and connectedness to the group which was truly joyful. The young adults who participated in this outdoor experience delighted in the creativity and freedom these open spaces offer. I would thoroughly recommend immersing yourself in our incredible local resources as often as possible.”
Kate Drake, Health and Wellbeing Officer for the National Park, says: “Just as nature flourishes through biodiversity, human communities flourish through neurodiversity.
“When we honour the full spectrum of human experience, we foster a society that values empathy, inclusion, and understanding—where everyone is free to be exactly who they are.”
(Image of Cissbury Ring courtesy of Joe James, the autistic photographer)