You and your staff can skillfully navigate
a wider spectrum of neurodiversity.
No kid wants to act badly and be excluded from a group.
As a mentor or professional, It feels awful to get triggered, lose your cool, yell, get ignored and not feel effective.
It’s just not evolutionarily intelligent to struggle with connecting.
Running an outdoor program today requires skills and strategies to work with children across the spectrum of neurodiversity.
Anxiety and depression are epidemic.
One in five children has a developmental disability. Youth mental health has never been worse.
Even programs that have had excellent track records are experiencing challenges they haven’t seen before.
You can be the solution, but your staff needs to learn how to navigate meltdowns, increase motivation, reduce kids leaving the area, ignoring, and aggressive behavior.
Behavior like this is a form of communication and I can help you learn to transform negative behavior into skillful moments.
YOU COULD DO IT ALONE
But you don’t have to
INTRODUCING
NATURELED for Professionals and Outdoor schools
Because when you know better, you do better.
Childhood has changed in the blink of an eye.
Don’t let the negative new trends ruin your important program.
Words from our friends
Chris, CoFounder of the Guelph Outdoor School.
“Because of the NatureLed Approach, I can do what I do, better!”
Jon Young, 8 Shields
"Kathleen is "the" person to help you understand human development and nature connection."
Waiting for you inside
What you will learn
NATURE CONNECTION PROGRAMS
The Neurodiversity Course For Outdoor Program Staff (Coming Soon)
Digestible, self-paced training videos, PDF worksheets, Journal Reflections and templates to keep your staff on track, live group discussions to work through specific situations and get individualized support.
PROGRAM DIRECTORS
Bring Kathleen to teach a workshop for your program or speak to your community.
Help your staff feel confident and skillful with behavior, communication, and different learning styles.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS AND PROFESSIONALS
Come to the NatureLed Approach Mentorship and feel inspired, renewed and ready to bring NatureLed to your work setting.
NatureLed brings meaning and inspiration to your work life and helps you craft a nature-connected personal life. Announcing New Dates SOON
Profound Transformation
"STAFF REPORTED FEELING MORE CONFIDENT AND PREPARED,
STUDENTS WERE CALMER AND MORE FOCUSED"
A California Based Outdoor School had a mission to connect children with nature, but their staff faced ongoing struggles with behavioral challenges.
Frequent meltdowns, disinterest in activities, elopement, and interrupting were disrupting the flow of their programs and leaving educators frustrated and burnt out. Seeking solutions, the school’s leadership enrolled their staff in a NatureLed™ workshop.
Through the training, the team learned to address these behaviors holistically. They implemented
behavior tracking templates to identify triggers and patterns, introduced
connective language to foster trust and emotional regulation, and incorporated
sensory-rich, nature-based interventions into their daily routines. Activities like sensory treasure hunts, bird-listening exercises, and playful vestibular games became key tools to re-engage students and preempt challenging behaviors.
The transformation was profound.
Staff reported feeling more confident and prepared, students were calmer and more focused, and the sense of connection between educators and children deepened.
One teacher shared, “The NatureLed™ Approach gave us practical tools that not only improved behavior but helped us build stronger relationships with our students. It’s been a game-changer for our program.”
Even though we have moved inside for 97% of our lives, our brains and bodies are still operating on the same neurology as our 10,000 year old cousins.
Regardless of the setting you work in, nature, our nature, is right outside the door.
You don't have to go to the deep wilds.
Nature is right outside your door.
Learn the NatureLed approach and bring the most motivating and meaningful activity to your clients.
Love Your Work
Feel Confident
Explaining The Value of Nature Connection as a highly meaningful activity
Help your clients
participate by engaging them in ancient neural-nature practices
I have a whole new outlook on my students.
"I felt like I was really losing hope. It seems like kids have changed so much and so many are struggling.
Taking Kathleen's NatureLed Mentorship changed everything for me. I have a whole new outlook on my students.
I'm able to see why they are behaving in certain negative ways, and I understand how to shift them into more positive behavior.
Since taking the NatureLed mentorship, I've implemented many of the "core routines" in my class and the kids love it! Also, the mentorship was fun and I felt so connected to my cohort. I feel like I'm not out there alone anymore!"
Elementary School Teacher, 4th grade
That made [my staff's] job easier!!
“Kathleen gave a talk to my community, and it just blew my mind!
She has a way of presenting very complicated information in an easy to understand way.
Her stories and the way she unpacks them helped us really get what she was saying. So many "aha's" and important conversations began after her talk.
Kathleen touched the hearts and minds of our whole community. I think it gave the parents' permission to let go a little and allow their children to play and engage in a more natural way. And that made [my staff's] job easier! Thank you Kathleen!”
Founder Of A Forest Preschool, Northern California
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:What is the core content for this program?
Q: I've already taken a nature-based course or forest bathing training. Would this still be valuable?
Q: Will you teach me the business of how to run my own practice or organization?
Q: I have more questions. Where do I get my questions answered?
Hey, I'm Kathleen!
I'm tired of seeing so many kids hurting, and the adults who love them burning out. I bet you are too.
I've been working outside-the-box for more than two decades — creating programs and offering services with a model that works.
In 2003, when my children were young, and we co-founded an alternative outdoor school that the kids affectionately named "Nature School" people thought it was fringe. We were edgy —doing something that went against the norm of the times. But now, there are dozens of nature-based occupational therapists and even more outdoor programs.
After more than two decades in the field, I know that what RxOUTSIDE offers is well researched, practiced, and unique. We don’t just do therapy outside.
We reconnect our neural-nature circuitry to bring each person’s brilliance to fullest of their potential.
It is my greatest joy to see the light come on in the eyes of young people and the adults who love and care for them.
Jump outside the box with us and you will discover joy, meaning and a model that just works.
