Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management
Committee Chair/Advisor
Corliss Outley
Committee Member
Theresa Melton
Committee Member
Mathew H.E.M. Browning
Committee Member
David Pastre
Abstract
Playful experiences are found to promote positive youth development (Burdette & Whitaker, 2005; Gray, 2011; Sobel, 2018; Watchman & Spencer-Cavaliere, 2017). Additionally, playing in nature can improve attention and mood and reduce stress (Greenleaf, 2014; Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989; Shin & Swank, 2018; Ulrich ,1991). Unfortunately, neurodiverse youth, especially those with autism, can often experience barriers that limit access to play (Pynn et al., 2018; Stern, 2003) specifically play in nature (Barnes, 2007; Wolfberg, 2009). Yet, community organizations that offer playful experiences in nature, such as zoos, aquariums, and nature centers, could be uniquely positioned in the community to support the playful needs of autistic youth in a safe environment and mitigate some of the barriers to play in nature. Despite the saturation of play and nature within these organizations, there is still a need to identify best practices to support neurodiverse children and caregivers through the commitment and capabilities of organizations. Therefore, this study engages the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in partnership with the MoZAICS project to examine organizational readiness.
Recommended Citation
Garcia, Jennifer N.K., "Assessing Neurodiverse Inclusion in Zoos, Aquariums, and Nature Centers: A Secondary Analysis of the MoZAICS Project" (2026). All Dissertations. 4272.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/4272