In one sentence
A small Australian survey suggests that walking in nature with an autistic preschooler can bring calm, connection, and chances to communicate — but parents also describe real challenges in moving together as a pair.
What the researchers did
This was a qualitative survey study — meaning the researchers collected written answers rather than numbers, and looked for patterns in what people said. They recruited 20 parents of preschool children with autism and a comparison group of 12 parents of preschool children without autism, all in Australia. Parents completed an online survey about walking together in nature. The team used Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model as a lens (a way of thinking about how a child develops through everyday interactions with people and places around them).
What they found
Five themes came out of the parents' answers:
- Calm — parents described nature walks as settling for their children.
- Connection — walking together was seen as time to be close as a family.
- Coordination and communication — parents reported growth in how their child communicated and moved with them, but also named this as the hardest part.
- Priority — parents said walking mattered to them, and that fitting it into daily life took effort.
- The comparison group of 12 parents of children without autism took part, but the paper's focus is on the autism group's experiences.
What this means for families and therapists
- If walks already work for your family, this study suggests they may be doing more than exercise — they may be a setting where communication and closeness grow.
- For therapists, walking could be a natural context to practise turn-taking, following a partner's pace, and shared attention — skills that show up in everyday routines, not just at a table.
- If coordination is the sticking point, it may help to ask a clinician or occupational therapist what specific supports (visual schedules, shorter routes, predictable stops) fit your child.
- Start small if outdoor walks feel hard: a short, familiar path at a quiet time of day can still give the calm and connection parents described, without forcing a long outing.
Limitations and what we don't know yet
- The sample is small: 20 parents in the autism group and 12 in the comparison group, all from one country.
- This is a qualitative survey, not a controlled trial — it captures what parents said, not proof that walking causes any change.
- Parents who chose to answer may already value nature walks, so their views may not represent all families.
- We don't know how old the children were in detail, how often families walked, or whether any effects lasted over time.
This is a plain-language summary of Walking in Nature with Autistic Preschoolers: What Parents Say by Galbraith C, Gray T, Sturges M, International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being (2026). Source license: CC-BY. It is not medical advice — talk to a qualified clinician before changing therapy.