Ultimately, all successful recreation programs center around its participants wants and needs. Serving people with disabilities is no exception. "Introduction to Recreation Services for People with Disabilities" is intended to be an introductory book for anyone planning or working in the parks, recreation, and leisure service industry. Through…

"Lessons Learned" provides a personalized approach and a fresh, bold guide for students and practitioners in recreational therapy. This thought-provoking, inspiring, and accessible text will help the next generation of recreational therapists to find purpose, meaning, and fulfillment in their own lives and to bring health and happiness to their…

Discusses the implications of the rapid, dramatic changes taking place in therapeutic recreation for individuals with physical disabilities. The article notes the impact of changes in managed care, examines programming trends in therapeutic recreation (adventure/outdoor education, competitive sports, handcycling, health enhancement activities, and…

Therapeutic recreation professionals often use aquatic therapy to improve physiological and psychological functioning, and they have reported improvements for people with many different types of disabilities. The paper discusses aquatic therapy methods, water as a therapeutic environment, professional training and development, and lifestyle…

Therapeutic recreation is important in treating substance abuse problems. It addresses attitudes and behaviors leading to substance abuse (inability to experience pleasure or control). It encourages participation in activities that help abusers cope and obtain enjoyable states, reducing reliance on drugs. The article discusses the theory of flow…

The paper examines the role of the recreation therapist in the new trend towards home care for the ventilator assisted individual. The focus on home care necessitates that the recreation therapist familiarize parents with the rationale for activities as well as providing them with information about a variety of future leisure pursuits. In…

Examines the importance of leisure education to help older adults gain a leisurely lifestyle to enhance their quality of life. Leisure education helps them redefine recreation, enhance self-esteem, and increase health-promoting attitudes. It involves leisure awareness, social interaction skills development, increasing skills in leisure activities,…

Explores educational implications of the case study method in therapeutic recreation, discussing why case study methods are important and how to use them effectively with preservice and inservice therapeutic recreation specialists. The case study approach is an important vehicle for discovery about people with disabilities and about therapeutic…

Developed as part of a project to integrate youth with disabilities into regular recreational and leisure activities, this report focuses on the role of the community leisure facilitator (CLF), defined as a professional, friend, family member, or volunteer who assists individuals with disabilities to enjoy the same leisure pursuits as other…

Designed for teachers interested in therapeutic recreation, the document lists sources of adaptive recreational equipment and their homemade counterparts. Brief descriptions for ordering or constructing recreational equipment for the visually impaired, poorly coordinated, physically impaired, and mentally retarded are given. Specific adaptations…

This series of papers examines the role of play from various angles, discussing play as an essential human function and universal experience, the role of play in developing cultural values and awareness, a symbolic interactionist view of play, early therapeutic recreation specialists, and the direction of commercialized play. (SM)

A series of nine articles discusses how to meet the leisure needs of diverse populations, focusing on pluralism and gang prevention, children and AIDS, socialization for the homeless, homosexual youth, the unemployed, recovering alcoholics, adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. (SM)

Britain's National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are work qualifications that measure what an employee or potential employee can do as well as how much he or she knows and understands about a particular job. Used as written proof of usable workplace skills that can be put to profitable use by an employer, NVQs range from basic Level 1, for…