RECREATIONAL THERAPIST By: Sierra Moore

WHAT IS A RECREATIONAL THERAPIST?

vRecreational therapists plan, direct, and coordinate recreation based treatment
sessions through arts & crafts, music, animals, drama, dance, sports, games, aquatics,
and public outings to those with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities
vThey aim to maintain or improve a person’s social, physical, cognitive, spiritual,
emotional, functional, and overall well-being
vTypically work full time in hospital, nursing home, or parks and recreation settings
vThey are NOT recreation workers that organize recreational activities simply for
enjoyment of the participants1
INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM MANAGEMENT OF
NEURO PATIENTS
vReduce anxiety, stress, depression
vImprove motor functioning
vRecover reasoning skills
vBuild up confidence
vPromote socialization 2
vUse leisurely time constructively
vProvide information on community resources or community re-entry programs
vAdaptive equipment
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
vBachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation or recreation and leisure with an option
of therapeutic recreation from an accredited college
vCertified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist Certification (CTRS)2
vMaster’s and doctoral degrees are also options3
WHAT ISSUES/SYSTEMS/IMPAIRMENTS DOES THIS
DISCIPLINE SPECIALIZE IN?
vAny disability or disabling condition that prevents the person from being independent in
ADLs, including recreational activities
vThey can receive specialized training in areas such as aquatic therapy, hippotherapy,
adaptive or wheelchair sports, outdoor activities, horticulture therapy
vThey can also specialize with working with those who have developmental disabilities,
mobility impairments, or mental illnesses
vThey can receive specialization certification in the following areas if they have a CTRS
vAdaptive Sports and Recreation
vBehavioral Health
vCommunity Inclusion Services
vDevelopmental Disabilities
vGeriatrics
vPediatric
vPhysical Medicine/Rehabilitation3
TESTS/MEASURES/PROCEDURES 4

vLeisure vPhysical
vDiscover your Passions Interview vBorg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale
vWalk Score
vPsychological/Emotional
vPositivity Test vSpiritual
vSupports Satisfaction Scale vVIA Strengths assessment
vThe HOPE questions
vCognitive
vMindful Attention Awareness Scale vWell-Being & QoL
vHOME Inventory vSatisfaction with Life Scale

vSocial
vHome & Community Social Behavior Scale
VIA STRENGTHS ASSESSMENT
vAssesses a person’s character strengths that can be used to
vBoost one’s confidence
vBe happier
vStrengthen one’s relationships
vManage problems
vReduce stress
vAccomplish goals5
PATIENT & FAMILY EDUCATION
vLaws & rights
vSelf-advocacy
vCommunity accessibility
vModified transportation
vCommunity resources
vPositive coping skills
vMeaning and benefit of wellness and recreation
vLeisure skill instruction (adaptive equipment, techniques, modifications)6
COMMUNITY PROGRAM INVOLVEMENT
vCommunity Re-integration programs
vAdaptive recreational equipment fairs
vAdaptive sports
HOW CAN PT SUPPORT THIS DISCIPLINE?
vRefer to a recreational therapist
vWork with a RT as part of the interdisciplinary team on how to manage a patient’s
anxiety, depression, and/or stress
vWork with a RT to help a patient engage in therapy and improve their QoL while
also working on increasing their functional mobility
vGet ideas from a RT on how to incorporate their ideas into our own therapy sessions
(music, games, etc.)
vRemember to look at the patient as a whole
vWhat do they like to do for fun?
vWhat are their passions and hobbies?
vGet them engaged!
OVERLAP WITH PT?
vThey assess a patient’s needs and functional abilities
vPlan and implement goal-oriented programs
vWork on improving a patient’s ADLs, functional mobility, and QoL
vProvide patient/family education
vConnect a patient/family with community resources
vAdvocate for their patients
vCommunity re-integration
vEngaging the patient in their own treatment and POC
WHAT WOULD CO-TREATMENT LOOK LIKE?
vCreating individualized goals for the patient
vFinding adaptive equipment for recreational purposes
vKeeping the patient active and engaged during treatment sessions
vIncreasing mobility while building confidence
vCommunity re-integration programs7
vThe interdisciplinary team of PTs, OTs, and RTs will take a group of 4-6 patients on a trip lasting 2-3
hours
vRestaurants, stores, bowling allies, airports
VIDEO CLIPS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRmHnFEzoV0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAQ1JlZdg8k
JOURNAL ARTICLE 1 8
­ Summary
­ 26 individuals with Type II Diabetes were surveyed.
­ Increased minutes of leisure time physical activity when the following were experienced during the activity:
­ A sense of connection/belonging with individuals/groups and/or within the self
­ Attributes that come from feeling a sense of connection/belonging with individuals/groups (feeling loved, etc.)
­ Sense of building one’s identity
­ Control/power over one’s self and things
­ Competency/mastery
­ Positive emotions with escalation (enjoyment, etc.)
­ Positive emotions of well-being
­ Hope/optimism
­ Continuation of one’s personal growth and development
­ Structured leisure counseling from a recreational therapist early in the disease to find these meaningful senses/feelings
could be helpful in DM management.
­ Critique
­ Small sample size.
­ Only recruited from one diabetes counseling center.
­ The data does not indicate the length of time engaged in leisure time physical therapy, predicts greater meaning.
­ The participants could have lied about the physical activity that they participate in.
­ Clinical Relevance
­ Recreational therapists can be essential as a collaborative healthcare team in chronic disease management.
­ Need to look further into why people perform more physical activity than others.
JOURNAL ARTICLE 2 9
­ Summary
­ Investigated the feasibility and acceptability of a specialized swim program—Sensory Enhanced
Aquatics for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
­ Also investigated how this specialized swim program impacted the children’s sleep behavior and the
specific child characteristics of the children that were responsive to this intervention.
­ Swim intervention lasted for 8-weeks
­ 10 children participated in the study ranging from 5-12 years of age.
­ Children with increased sensory sensitivity and decreased autism severity showed decreased sleep
disturbances following the intervention.
­ Critique
­ Small sample size
­ They did not control the for the children’s sleep routines and physical activity outside of the swimming
program.
­ The program was only once per week for 30 minutes, which is below the government
recommendations for physical activity. This may have not been enough physical activity to improve
sleep for children with increased autism severity.
­ Clinical Relevance
­ Aquatic therapy may be beneficial in pediatrics when working with children that are affected by
hyperarousal and hypersensitivity.
­ Can also recommend to families that have a child with autism in order to increase physical activity.
JOURNAL ARTICLE 3 10
­ Summary
­ The study aimed to compare the effects of music therapy with general recreational activities in reducing
agitation in people with dementia residing in nursing home facilities.
­ 94 participants were allocated to music therapy or recreational activities.
­ 2x/week for 4 months.
­ In both groups, the intervention resulted in a decrease in agitated behaviors from 1 hour before to 4 hours
after each session.
­ The decrease in agitated behaviors was greater in the music therapy group.
­ Critique
­ Large sample size and was a randomized controlled design.
­ Those in the music therapy group had a more severe dementia stage compared to those in the other group,
even though they randomly placed participants in each group.
­ The researchers used a modified version of their scale, which lacked the sensitivity of the original version.
­ Clinical Relevance
­ Can use music to decrease agitation when working with those with dementia.
­ Because there was also a decrease in agitation when performing recreational activities, we could
incorporate the same treatment ideas into our own interventions.
RESOURCES
1. Summary. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/recreational-therapists.htm. Published April 13, 2018. Accessed June 17,
2018.

2. About Recreational Therapy. NCTRC. https://nctrc.org/about-ncrtc/about-recreational-therapy/. Accessed June 17, 2018.

3. Recreation Therapist and Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. VHWDA. https://www.vhwda.org/healthcare-careers/therapy/recreation-therapist-and-

therapeutic-recreation-specialist/. Accessed June 17, 2018.

4. Anderson, Heyne. Strengths-Based Therapeutic Recreation Assessment. http://colfax.cortland.edu/nysirrc/articles-handouts/TR-Strengths-Assessment.pdf.

Published 2013. Accessed June 17, 2018.

5. Latest News: Character Strengths, Character Building Experts: VIA Character. http://www.viacharacter.org/www/. Accessed June 17, 2018.

6. Therapeutic Recreation. tirr. http://tirr.memorialhermann.org/programs-specialties/therapeutic-recreation/. Published May 8, 2018. Accessed June 17,
2018.

7. Wojciechowski M. ation of Patients: The Role of the PT. APTA. http://www.apta.org/PTinMotion/2014/2/CommunityReintegration/. Published February,
2014. Accessed June 17, 2018.

8. Porter HR, Shank J, Iwasaki Y. Promoting a Collaborative Approach With Recreational Therapy to Improve Physical Activity Engagement in Type 2 Diabetes.
Therapeutic Recreation Journal. 2012; 46 (3): 202.

9. Lawson LM, Little L. Feasibility of a Swimming Intervention to Improve Sleep Behaviors of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Therapeutic Recreation
Journal. 2017; 2: 97-108.

10. Vink AC, Zuidersma M, Boersma F, Jonge PD, Zuidema SU, Slaets JPJ. The Effect of Music Therapy Compared with General Recreational Activities in
Reducing Agitation in People with Dementia: A Randomised Controlled Trial. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 2013; 28: 1031-1038.