Mountains and People with Developmental Disorders: Therapeutic Landscape and Inclusive Challenge Introduction: Overcoming the Double Barrier The interaction between people with developmental disorders (including intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders — ASD, Down syndrome, and others) and the mountain environment is a complex and multi-layered phenomenon. It balances between two extremes: on the one hand, mountains are traditionally perceived as a space of increased risk and demand, creating additional barriers; on the other — they possess a unique therapeutic and developmental potential, capable of becoming a space for personal growth, socialization, and expanding opportunities. The scientific analysis of this interaction lies in the field of adaptive physical culture, eco- and animal therapy, environmental psychology, and social inclusion. The Mountains as a Multisensory Therapeutic Environment: Potential Benefits The specificity of the mountain landscape can have a structuring and harmonizing effect. Sensory integration and regulation: For many people with ASD and other disorders, sensory processing difficulties are characteristic. The mountain environment, with proper dosing, offers: Programmable sensory load: Clear physical sensations (the coolness of the wind, the texture of the stone, the scent of pine) may be more predictable and "pure" than the chaotic sensory environment of the city. This promotes sensory integration. Deep proprioceptive and vestibular stimulation: Dosed physical activity (walking along a trail, simple ascents) provides a powerful proprioceptive load (the sensation of the body in space), which has a calming and organizing effect on the nervous system. "Soft fascination": Gazing at majestic but not aggressively changing landscapes (mountain peaks, panoramas) allows for a reduction in anxiety and mental fatigue characteristic of many people with disorders, directing attention in a non-coercive manner. Development of communicatio ... Read more