Goats and pigs are just a fewof the livestock at One Acre Farm.
NONPROFIT
One Acre Farm owner Catherine Grin stands among the many animals that reside onsite.
PHOTOS BY WESLEY GARDNERCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
One Acre Farm Porter nonprot oers outdoor learning for individuals of all abilities W hen considering methods for teaching her students, Catherine Gri n said she has always thought outside the box. Gri n, who has owned and all of the classes oered are fully inclusive of all abilities, outside a Sensory Sunday class that is exclu- sively for individuals with autism. Gri n rst got the idea to oer classes to individuals on the spec- trum after listening to a presenta- tion by Rupert Isaacson, a British ex-professional horse trainer who BY WESLEY GARDNER
One Acre Farm is home to two horses.
AUTISM’S EFFECT ON THE BRAIN While the brains of individuals on the autism spectrum are the same as those of neurotypical people, certain portions are often sized di erently, producing varying functions.
Amygdala: controls all emotional responses, including aggression and “ght or ight”; is often larger in younger individuals with autism Cerebral cortex: helps the brain carry out movement, sensation, executive functions and social behavior; altered structure activity can a ect these functions in individuals with autism Cerebellum: ne-tunes motor activity, balance, movement and speech; individuals with autism have less Purkinje cells, which a ects movement control
operated One Acre Farm in Porter for the last 22 years, is a certied teacher in Texas. Her students, however, do not sit at desks inside all day. Instead, they learn through hands-on lessons conducted outside among the gardens and live- stock scattered about the property. “As teachers and parents, let’s not think that everything has to be done at a table or in a chair,” Gri n said, noting she employed the method in her own children’s homeschooling prior to opening the school. “[My children’s] interest was in horses. … They could learn math with horses. They could learn biology with horses. They could do science.” Gri n initially opened One Acre Farm as an outdoor, inter- active learning environment for homeschooled children, but the nonprot has since evolved into an educational farm providing classes and workshops for all ages. While the farm does not have set hours of operation, events and classes are listed on the nonprot’s website. In 2016, the farm began to oer specialized sessions for children on the autism spectrum. Now,
developed several methods of therapy for his son with autism. She said she realized her teach- ing methods at One Acre Farm were very similar to the methods Isaacson spoke about, which focused on providing physical environments aimed at calming the nervous system and providing individuals with autism the ability to move freely while learning. Gri n said she has seen vast improvements in the children with autism she has worked with, noting she has been pleasantly surprised at how smooth the transition of welcoming students of all abilities has been at the farm. “Society today is a lot more accepting than when I was a kid,” she said. “There’s not that stigma.” More than anything, Gri n said she enjoys seeing her students’ smiling faces as they learn. “I’m a lifelong learner,” Gri n said. “I always just want to encourage kids to be happy and play and explore and be curious about everything.”
SOURCE: AUTISM BRAINNET COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
OneAcre Farm 3416 Magnolia Drive, Porter 832-860-4756 www.oneacrefarmtx.com Hours: See website for events and class times
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LAKE HOUSTON HUMBLE KINGWOOD EDITION • APRIL 2022
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