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Finding Leisure |
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DefinitionAwarenessSkills Learning & RehearsalSelf-DeterminationBenefitsOvercoming BarriersTherapeutic Recreation ServicesSettingsActivity |
AwarenessThe foundation for discovering leisure education is awareness. The goal is for your child is to gain an awareness of leisure, himself or herself and resources. Leisure AwarenessFocuses on assisting the child to understand when and where leisure can happen, as well as the different activity options available to the child, such as active, passive, social, sports, and so forth. The child builds awareness of the many benefits of leisure, particularly as a balance to his or her other activities and responsibilities (school, family, and work).Self-AwarenessThe child learns his or her preferences in leisure, i.e., knowing what he or she likes to do for fun, when he can recreate and with whom, etc. If possible, the child explores and expresses his or her attitudes, values, and motivations about leisure. However, for youth with developmental disabilities, for example, asking these youth to “reflect” and then talk about this information may not be possible! Therefore, this information must be learned through observation of the child during play, conversations with parents, other family members and caregivers (i.e., babysitters, personal aides), and teachers, as well as professionally administered leisure interest assessments.Awareness of ResourcesLeisure education facilitators with family members can begin to explore what resources the child has available to bring into a particular leisure experience, as well as identify what he or she might need to obtain. Obstacles or barriers to leisure participation also need to be identified, i.e., what strengths or resources does he or she lack, what may stand in the way of his or her involvement. Once identified, solutions may be found that turn "obstacles into opportunities."Resources to understand and consider include:
Leisure opportunities in home, school and community settingsDoes the child have play opportunities? What are they? With whom do he or she play? What supports and accommodations are currently provided to help the child to play?Budgeting and financial considerationsDoes the family have the financial means to support a variety of leisure experiences, such as purchasing adaptive equipment, enrolling the child in a program, or hiring a caregiver to accompany the child?People and relationshipsIs the preferred activity solitary in nature, or does it require participation with others? Does the person have the social skills to interact appropriately with co-participants and staff?CommunicationIs the individual able to express his or her needs, interests, and preferences through his or her unique form of communication? Is he or she given the opportunity to do so? Each activity has its own 'language.' Does the child know the specific terms, phrases, and expressions unique to these activities?TransportationHow will this individual get to the recreation settings - via family, public transportation, neighbor, caregiver, or other means?Current leisure skillsWhat skills and abilities does the individual have now that he or she can bring to the leisure activity and setting? How can these be incorporated into and reinforced in the leisure setting?Personal routinesWhat are the child’s typical routines at home or school? What can be incorporated into his or her time at the recreation setting? Share these with recreation staff.« Previous | Next » |
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This online resource has been created through a collaborative project of the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) with content and design development by the National Center on Accessibility (NCA) and the Indiana University School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. This project is funded through Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number U59/CCU522742-02 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC. All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright 2013, Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. |