Public awareness of health-related topics is increasing, and an increase in average life expectancy has increased the senior citizen population in Taiwan. Furthermore, because of the high cost of raising young children, people's willingness to give birth has decreased. Taiwan's aging population and declining birth rate are key challenges for its…

The use of smartphones and tablet devices in activities is believed to have great potential for enhancing the participation of people with intellectual disabilities. However, these technologies, in themselves, do not contribute to participation. What matters is how they are used. Employing the concept of domestication and insights gained from…

Research suggests that family camp experiences can enhance family relationships. Families often participate in family camp experiences for a vacation, as part of a therapeutic and/or intervention strategy, or to gain general enrichment or engagement. To better understand the impacts of family camp experiences on family functioning, a mixed-methods…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a peer intervention program designed to increase interactions between children with and without disabilities in an inclusive summer camp. A multiple probe single subject design was used to determine the effects of the STAR intervention on six dyads of campers aged five through ten over two…

Summer camps provide opportunities for children to experience play, pleasurable activities, and social interaction with other children of similar ages and interests and are an integral part of the modern-day American cultural landscape. The authors discuss the emergence of summer camps for children with special needs, the types of play activities…

Every summer more than 10 million children attend day or resident (sleep-over) camps sponsored by churches, not-for-profit youth agencies, and independent operators. This study explored the outcomes of a 1-week or longer camp experience from the perspective of parents. A national sample of almost 2,300 parents responded to pre-, post-, and…

In the past decade, human service professions such as recreation, public health, and education have been asked to increase their services and document their contribution to the people and communities they serve. The recreation profession specifically has been looked upon as a unique contributor to the positive development of youths, with emphasis…

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES OBSERVED AT SIX SUMMER DAY CAMPS (REPRESENTATIVE OF 26 SUCH CAMPS SPONSORED BY THE KENNEDY FOUNDATION) ARE REPORTED. EACH CAMP WAS VISITED AND THE FIRST 25 ACTIVITIES PRESENTED WERE ANALYZED BY ONE OF TWO THEORETICAL MODELS. THE MODEL FOR MEANINGFUL (COGNITIVE) ACTIVITIES WAS USED TO RATE ACTIVITIES IN TERMS OF…