How Does the GARDEN Program Benefit Participants? The GARDEN Program provides opportunities for communication and choice making based on individual skills and desires. Program participants are encouraged and assisted in making choices that impact their lives, such as choosing which activities to participate in, who to engage in those activities with and when. Participants are also assisted in communicating their feelings and desires through the use of assistive and augmentative communication devices.
Participants of the GARDEN Program are exposed to a variety of sensory experiences for the purpose of enrichment, relaxation and awareness. Some of these activities include pet therapy, movement to music, massage, fiber optics and relaxing on the heated vibro-acoustic waterbed. Spending time in the sensory garden and experiencing the diverse scents and textures of the living plants is an enjoyable activity in warm weather. Community outings are also a desired part of the program, however, medical and health needs may limit the frequency of those activities. |
