The impact of an agro-healing program on family resilience, parental stress, and social skills of children with developmental disabilities

Developmental disabilities pose challenges for the entire family, making it crucial to enhance family resilience and promote a positive outlook for all members. This study aimed to investigate the impact of an agro-healing program based on horticultural activities using a family resilience framework among families with children with developmental disabilities in South Korea. A total of 15 participants, including children with developmental disabilities, from 6 families were recruited for the research. The program entailed conducting a 90-min agro-healing program based on horticultural activities for 8 weeks; a total of 8 sessions were delivered weekly. The Family Resilience Scale, Family Adaptability Scale, Korean Perceived Stress Scale, Social Skills Rating Scale, and Satisfaction Survey Questionnaire were utilized to evaluate the program's impact. The analysis of the agro-healing program's effects revealed that family resilience in families with children with developmental disabilities improved significantly. Additionally, the parents' stress levels decreased, and social skills of the children with developmental disabilities improved. The agro-healing program based on horticultural activities can serve as a social support measure to enhance psychological and social well-being and aid recovery in families with children with developmental disabilities.