06/11/2025
🚜 Not your average “therapy session.”
What’s therapeutic for one person might look completely different for the next.
For this young man — almost 10 years old, ASD diagnosis, and full of curiosity — therapy doesn’t happen in a clinic or behind a desk. It happens right here on the farm, on the ride-on mower, where he feels the hum of the engine, the vibration under his feet, the smell of cut grass, the dust in the air, and the deep sense of pride when he looks back and sees what he has achieved.
When he first came to us, cobwebs, insects, and loud noises were a barrier. Many little sensory things were a challenge. Now he’s jumping on the mower, managing the sounds and textures of the world around him, and showing up with confidence. And he LOVES to mow!
And while it might look like “just mowing,” what’s really happening is so much bigger.
He’s learning:
Focus and concentration – staying on task and following a mowing pattern.
Motor coordination and strength – controlling the steering, throttle, and awareness of space.
Problem-solving – adapting when the ground changes, when something’s in the way, or the mower needs adjustment.
Emotional regulation – managing excitement, frustration, and sensory overload in real time.
Communication and teamwork – taking direction, giving feedback, and working alongside me as part of a shared job.
Confidence and self-belief – the “I did that” feeling that no worksheet can ever give.
We work side-by-side — he mows, I move hoses and pick up sticks — because that’s how learning happens best: through purpose and participation.
He’s also been learning to drive the farm ute (under close supervision, low range, my hand on the handbrake, in an open paddock) — again, not because he needs to drive, but because he’s learning trust, responsibility, and safe risk-taking and he WANTS to do it!
Out here, life and learning are intertwined. We talk about the DOSE effect — dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins — those feel-good brain chemicals that come from achievement, connection, and purpose. Every time he completes a job, pats the dogs, or hears “mate, you did awesome,” his brain is literally rewiring for success.
It’s unconventional. It’s gritty. It’s real life.
And it works — because we meet these kids where they’re at and help them grow into where they can be. We have no issues getting them through the gate and motivated. Most kids don't thrive in 4 walls and talk therapy. But out here, once they build trust and relationship with us, and can see that we believe in them, they open up. Remember, just like the animals, kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care 🐾🥰
We’re not here to wrap kids in bubble wrap. We’re here to give them tools, trust, and transformation — so they can thrive in the real world, safely and with pride. ❤️
