March 23 and 24, 1995, Research Triangle Park,
NC
sponsored by: The Center for Recreation and
Disability Studies Curriculum in Leisure Studies and Recreation Administration
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Authors:
Candace Ashton-Shaeffer, Ph.D., CTRS Research
Assistant Professor, Project Director
Charles C. Bullock, Ph.D., CTRS Professor,
Director, Chair
Mary Shelton, M.S., CTRS Therapeutic Recreation
Specialist
Charlsena Stone, M.S., CTRS Graduate Research
Assistant
Summit
Delegates:
Linda Aldrich, University of New Hampshire
Candace Ashton-Shaeffer, University of North
Carolina-Chapel Hill
Molly Barrett, Milwaukee (WI) Public Schools
Leandra Bedini, University of North Carolina-Greensboro
Debra K. Blair, St. John of God Community
Services, Westville, NJ
Frank Brasile, University of Nebraska-Omaha
Charles Bullock, University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill
Jacqueline Cavadi, University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill
Philip Cooper, Indiana University
Catherine Coyle, Temple University
Kathy Fletcher, University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill
Gene A. Hayes, University of Tennessee
Ann Huston, American Therapeutic Recreation
Association
Nancy Jekubovich-Fenton, University of Georgia
Dan Johnson, University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill
Betsy Jones, Durham (NC) Public Schools
Jennifer Laughrun, University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill
Carrie McCann, University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill
Larry Polk, DeKalb County (GA) School System
Lou Powell, University of New Hampshire
Marinda Sapp, University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill
Jane Schumann, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
John Shank, Temple University
Mary Shelton, University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill
Thomas K. Skalko, Florida International University
Fran Coffey Stanat, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Mick Stewart, Radford University
Charlsena Stone, University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill
Susan Wood, University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill
Beth Zeidman, Arlington County (VA) Dept.
of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources
Models of Practice
Overviews of models of practice related to the provision of therapeutic recreation in schools were provided at the Summit by the following institutions and agencies: Arlington Parks, Recreation, and Community Resources, Arlington, Virginia; DeKalb County School System, Atlanta, Georgia; Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Temple University; The University of Georgia; The University of New Hampshire; The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and The University of Tennessee. The overviews presented philosophical background and justification, target populations, assessment and intervention strategies utilized, and identified strengths, weaknesses, and needs of the models. Each model is described here.
The last model presented is a conceptual model
of the process of recreation as a related service. This model, presented
by Candace Ashton-Shaeffer, was presented at the Summit as a working model-in-progress,
and received various suggestions for revision. The original model, without
revisions, is presented here to stimulate continued conceptualization and
analysis of the best ways to deliver recreation as a related service.
The
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Wake
Leisure Education Project (as presented by Leandra Bedini UNC-G)
The Wake Leisure Education Project was based on the self-efficacy theory’s premise that sources of information, such as personal acceptance, vicarious experiences, emotional arousal, and verbal, persuasion, contribute to self-efficacy in an individual. The project served high school seniors ' aged 17-22 years, with developmental disabilities on the "trainable" and "educable" levels of mental disability. Each student had the potential to graduate within the academic school year.
Interventions were taught one-on-one or in small groups with similarly skilled students twice per week from September to June. The strategies were based on a 10-unit model that included leisure awareness, self awareness in leisure, leisure opportunities, community resource awareness, barriers, personal resources and responsibility, planning skills, planning an outing, going on the outing, and evaluating the outing.
The project's strength was its ability to enable
the staff to work on students' own leisure interests and needs within the
students' own community rather than generalizing from other sites. In addition,
students were connected in person with instrumental individuals in the
students' community for participation in particular activities. Weaknesses
of the project were poor follow-up or reinforcement by teachers and parents,
and the fact that there was only one implementer for many students. It
was also difficult to obtain travel releases from schools. Parents and
teachers noticed that students began to initiate such behaviors as being
assertive, indicating choices, and speaking-up as a result of the project.
A recommendation made by project staff was to create a similar project
with a longer intervention period.
School-Community Leisure Link (as presented by Betsy Jones)
Like the Wake Leisure Education Project, the School-Community Leisure Link (SCLL) Project is based on the self-efficacy theory's premise that sources of information, such as personal acceptance, vicarious experiences, emotional arousal, and verbal persuasion contribute to self-efficacy in an individual. The project serves elementary, middle, and high school students with developmental disabilities. The project focuses on students whose current curriculum and IEP goals include a leisure component.
The program serves self-contained classrooms where the students are grouped by disability level and age (i.e., mild, moderate, autistic, etc.). The CTRS conducts the leisure education sessions, in groups or with individuals, for 8 to 12 weeks. Leisure education is then continued as part of the special education curriculum by the classroom teacher. The teachers are provided with materials and ongoing support or consultation by the CIRS to ensure continuation of the program. The CIRS is available to attend IEP meetings and write leisure goals. The CTRS, along with the classroom teacher, designs strategies to meet the goals. The leisure education curriculum includes units on leisure awareness, leisure resources, communication skills, decision-making, and leisure planning. Family outreach, including information and assistance on accessing community recreation, is provided by the CTRS. In addition, the CTRS provides community advocacy and training in order to make recreation programs accessible to all people. Coordination of arts and sports programs and community outings for special education classrooms is structured to meet IEP-related leisure goals.
One strength of the SCLL project is that it is well received by teachers, students, parents, and administrators. Another strength is that the length of the program's existence has allowed all self-contained classroom teachers to be trained. In addition, the majority of students reach the goals and objectives of each curriculum unit in the classroom setting. An increased awareness of the importance of leisure in the lives of students with disabilities in the school and the community has also been identified as a strength of the project.
One identified weakness of the SCLL project is that there is a lack of opportunity for students to implement leisure skills in the home and community. This has been found to be due to poor follow-up by parents and community barriers (i.e., transportation, money, etc.). Another weakness is that there is only one CTRS employed in the school system, which does not allow for the opportunity for a more traditional related service approach or individual work with students. This makes it extremely difficult to follow up on specific IEP goals. An additional weakness is that the SCLL project was not designed for inclusive classroom settings.
A recommendation made by project staff is to
address the weaknesses noted above. An additional recommendation is to
increase staff or reduce populations served in order to offer both group
leisure education and individual student services.
Family Link in Leisure Education (as presented by Dan Johnson)
The Family Link in Leisure Education (FLLE) project at the University of North Carolina at Chapel MU is an individualized home-school-community leisure education research project. The program emphasizes self-determination and decision-making by assisting students and their parents in exploring and finding meaningful leisure activities.
The project serves students with mild, moderate, severe, and profound disabilities from self-contained and inclusive classrooms. Students are referred to the program by teachers. Students are from transition programs, high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools. Individual assessments, emphasizing individual strengths, are conducted with each student, teacher, and family member. Individualized goals and objectives are then generated for each student. Interventions last from 3 to 9 months, depending on the needs of the student, and take place at school, at home, with family, and in the community. Possible interventions include social skills development, leisure awareness, community resource identification, decision-making skills, and assertiveness training.
One strength of the FLLE project is that it
provides intense, individualized, one-on-one interventions. Another strength
is that the length of interventions can vary as long as is needed to meet
individualized goals. There is also the added strength of intense collaboration
between the school and the family. Emphasis is placed on the personal choice
of students, facilitating participation in home- and community-based leisure
activities by the students. One identified weakness of the project is that
there is variation in involvement of families and teachers. Recommendations
made by project staff include requiring firm parental commitment to the
project, and requesting more complete teacher involvement.
Therapeutic Recreation and I.D.E.A.: A model of implementation for educational enhancement (as presented by Candace Ashton-Shaeffer)
The following model of recreation as a related service is based upon the definition of recreation in I.D.E.A., and observations and analysis of the actual and theoretical practice of recreation as a related service. I.D.E.A. specifically identifies recreation as:
 TRIPS
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