A Horticultural Therapy Program Focused on Succulent Cultivation for the Vocational Rehabilitation Training of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

We aimed to develop a horticultural therapy program for the vocational rehabilitation of individuals with intellectual disabilities and examine its effects. Individuals with intellectual disabilities (n = 28, average age: 33.23 ± 4.9 years) were recruited from a welfare center in Jecheon, South Korea. They participated in eight weekly sessions of a horticultural therapy program consisting of common succulent cultivation techniques at a specialized succulent cultivation farm located in Jecheon, South Korea. Before and after the program, we assessed hand function (grip strength, pinch force, and hand dexterity, evaluated using a hand dynamometer, Jamar hydraulic pinch gauge, and grooved pegboard, respectively), emotional behavioral strategies (evaluated using the emotional behavioral checklist), and social skills (evaluated using the social skill rating system-teacher form). After participation in the horticultural therapy program, individuals with intellectual disabilities displayed significantly improved hand function, emotional behavior, and social skills (all p < 0.05). This study demonstrates the potential of horticultural therapy focused on succulent cultivation for the vocational training of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Future studies should investigate the effects of the program in a larger cohort.

Effectiveness of horticultural therapy on physical functioning and psychological health outcomes for older adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Previous literature indicates that horticultural activities can be classified as low-to high-intensity aerobic exercises (Hawkins et al, 2015). Repeated reaching-grasping motions help participants master fine skills, increase grasp and pinch forces, and gain agility (Joy et al, 2020;Lee et al, 2018), which would promote cardiopulmonary endurance and upper-limb flexibility such as muscle activation, movement times, velocity and the angular range of movement of joints (Lee et al, 2016).…”

Effects of Horticultural Activities on Attitudes toward Aging, Sense of Hope and Hand–Eye Coordination in Older Adults in Residential Care Facilities

“…One study reported that an 18-session horticultural therapy did not significantly improve hand dexterity in patients with disability (e.g., patients with stroke) [ 93 ]. Therefore, most researchers prefer to set a longer course of hand–eye coordination training for individuals with disability, e.g., 20 sessions [ 94 ] or 24 sessions [ 38 ] of training. Assessment of the effectiveness of a horticultural intervention should consider the characteristics of the group.…”

Nature-based allied health: current practice, challenges and opportunities

“…For example, the use of nature provides a naturalistic milieu to promote speech development using incidental teaching [66], and building functional skills and confidence in real-world settings, including outdoor environments may assist in overcoming disparities in exposure to nature, where those who are more vulnerable likely have less access to nature [35]. Some of these activities could be integrated into prevocational training, with for example, prevocational farm activities [67] and horticulture programs [68], improving health and wellbeing, and a potential role for environmental enhancement (e.g. ecological restoration) activities having been recently highlighted [69].…”