Therapeutic recreation is a form of health practice that is focused on interventions to make people with disabilities to feel better. These interventions aim at improving their cognitive, social and physical functioning as far as any disability is concerned (Coyle and Shank 102). The definition of the word ‘disability’ is not clear to many people. Disability is seen to involve a lot of other things other than what is commonly known and perceived by most people as a disability. The Americans with Disability Act defines a person with disability as “anyone that has physical or mental impairment which limits his or her performance in daily activities or a person who has a history or a record of such impairment, or anyone who has perceived others to have the same impairment” (ADA 5). This definition is broad and enables one to clearly characterize and define any disability. Any given particular form of disability may have a particular cause. The causes are as varied as the forms of disability themselves (Robertson and Long 8). The various forms of disability may be as a result of birth defects, or genetic disorders or even accidents. A person may develop a form of disability at any time in their life. One may be born with a certain disability or may be involved in an accident that affects his or her mental and physical performance.
People with disabilities require as much attention and treatment as normal people (Coyle and Shank 106). In the modern society culture influences the treatment and perception of people with disability. They are viewed differently by most people and some are not willing to interact with them. There is still some stigma that people with disabilities faced. The public should be informed that the disabled persons are valuable citizens who have similar and equal rights as them. They are also capable of making their life decisions and choices. This is however limited to certain situations as the nature of their disability may dictate. The medical field acts as a model for other professions on how to treat the people with disability. Therapeutic recreation considers the patient in a general way and aims at the restoration of the patient’s functioning (Robertson and Long 16). This is usually physical or mental in cases where possible. Some cases of disabilities are irreversible, but if left on their own the person’s condition deteriorates. The goals of therapeutic recreation are to increase the patient’s performance, reduce pain, and/or treat any permanent physical disabilities (Coyle and Shank 63). It is therefore important that an intervention be put in place to help the patient to live longer.
Recreational therapy is a form of therapeutic recreation and it is the most common practice in this field. It is defined by the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) as “a treatment service designed to restore, remediate and rehabilitate a person’s level of functioning and independence in life activities, to promote health and wellness as well as reduce or eliminate the activity limitations and restrictions to participation in life situations caused by an illness or disabling condition” (Coyle and Shank 16). Recreational therapy works towards the patient’s full restoration. It encourages partnerships between the patient and the specialist (Robertson and Long 121). It also encourages the patients to be self-determined and enable them to realize their self-worth. The patient is very important in the treatment process and his or her opinion always counts.
The individuals with any form of disability are affected differently (Carter and Andel 358). This varies depending on the nature of the disability. The disability may impair the person’s cognitive ability and even mental concentration if it is a mental disability (Robertson and Long 140). Physical disability may limit an individual’s mobility and interaction with others. They are not able to get involved in daily life activities as the disability limits their limitations. Both physical and mental disabilities have an effect on the person’s social interactions. People with disabilities may be discriminated against in several aspects. They are prone to embarrassments when they join their friends or age mates in given social activities. They may also suffer from public opinion; how the public’s perception and view of persons with disability. A child with disability usually has poor developmental milestones compared to other children of the same age. Individuals with mental disability may have impairments in communication where they are not able to communicate effectively (Robertson and Long 214). Relaying on information from such people is usually compromised. He or she also may have a difficulty in remembering anything, for example a doctor’s appointment. They also have a problem in adapting to new and unfamiliar environments or situations (Carter and Andel 116). These effects may further affect other areas of their lives and hence affect their performance in the activities they get involved in. These include classes, employment and even exercise.
Individuals with any form of disability are found almost everywhere. There are no specific places where one may find them as any form of disability may affect all age groups; male or female. The disabilities are also not bias on race; the Hispanics as well as Caucasians can all get affected. There are certain conditions that may be more common among people of a particular race or gender but this is in a limited scope. Most of the forms of disability are widespread as the trigger agents may be found almost everywhere. For example, genetic conditions may occur anywhere in which there is a trigger agent that would cause a particular abnormality.
There are several forms of disability and their management may vary only slightly depending on the nature of the disability. Therapeutic recreation involves several practices that aim at helping the people with disability to recreate. Horticulture therapy is a form of therapeutic recreation that uses plant life (Robertson and Long 123). It uses various forms of horticultural products and metaphors that are usually linked with the experience of caring for plants. Horticulture therapy is widely applied for patients in physical rehabilitation (Robertson and Long 123). It provides a serene and peaceful environment that enables the person to connect with nature and heals the psychological aspects of their being. It also provides a chance for the individual to exercise his or her cognitive, motor and sensory-motor functions. Horticulture therapy is thus useful in engaging the individual’s social competencies.
Community reentry or re-integration is a form of therapeutic recreation that aims at introducing the patient back to the community especially after rehabilitation (Robertson and Long 123). It involves several activities such as field trips to the community and also home visits to enable the individual to get used to the real life. In the course of this, the therapeutic recreation specialist should be able to identify barriers to reentry and also equip the client with the skills necessary for the home and community life (Carter and Andel 412). The individual should be able to get involved in community and home activities easily after discharge. The people with disability should also be educated on leisure and informed on various leisure activities. These activities should be able to be of significance in enabling them recover both physically and psychologically. The leisure education provided should involve “leisure awareness, leisure resources, social skills and activity skills” (Robertson and Long 123). Patients that develop impairments as a result of traumatic brain injury (TBI) may experience social deficits and cognitive impairments. Special attention should be given to this category of patients.
Exercise and fitness is another form of therapeutic recreation that is of great importance to a large class of people with disability (Robertson and Long 123). Physical disabilities affect a person’s mobility. The muscles are rarely stretched. These people should be informed of proper exercising techniques that can be as far-reaching as running around the field for a normal person. The dangers of sedentary living are far much greater for those with disability than for those without (Robertson and Long 123). Proper exercise modalities should be put in place for these people that would enable them to stay fit at all times. They should be advised on proper exercise and the precautions to be taken when engaging in that form of exercise.
Muscular dystrophy is a group of chronic genetic diseases that lead to physical disability. The diseases are characterized by progressive degeneration and weakness of voluntary muscles (Robertson and Long 141). The disease occurs as a result of a mutation of a gene on chromosome X or it may be hereditary. This causes a generalized weakness and deterioration of the muscles. In early life, especially for children below 2 years, signs of physical impairment ensue. These include weakness, loss of reflexes, difficulty sitting up and impaired breathing (Robertson and Long 141). As the disease progress the muscles usually become weaker and the breathing more difficult. Studies show that children with muscular dystrophy are usually wheelchair-bound by the time they reach age 12 (Robertson and Long 141). This condition not only causes physical impairment but also cognitive impairments. A balance should be struck out in the management of these disabilities to help the patient to lead a normal life. Focus should be put on skills that would enable the individual to develop higher cognitive competencies as well as physical competencies. The person should be able to live in a less-restrictive environment as much as possible. Leisure education should form part of the therapeutic recreation intervention for this patient.
Mental disabilities require far greater management techniques. Prader Willi syndrome is a rare genetic disease that results due to a problem in chromosome 15. It affects males and females of all races (Robertson and Long 214). This disease is not common and in most cases it is diagnosed in 2% or less of case (Robertson and Long 214). It causes effects such as delayed development and incomplete genital development. As the affected individuals continue growing they develop more physical deformities. These may include retarded growth, small hands and legs and a dysfunction of the central nervous system. The areas of the central nervous system important for cognitive abilities are also impaired. The patients with Prader Willi syndrome usually have an irresistible and uncontrollable urge to eat (Robertson and Long 214). Food should thus be put away of such patients as overeating may lead to other serious conditions such as obesity. The therapeutic recreation specialist should include physical activity in the management of such patients (Robertson and Long 215). This illness affects both the cognitive and physical competencies of the patient and therefore is management should be carefully considered. The fact that the condition is rare does not eliminate its chances of occurring. Every therapeutic recreation specialist should therefore be knowledgeable about it and offer the necessary care when a need arises.
The therapeutic recreation specialist forms an integral part of the healthcare team that attends to a patient with any form of disability. It is important that he or she develop a warm environment that could enable the patient to feel valued. Most of the people with disability rarely feel valued because of people’s perceptions of them. In many cases, they are stigmatized and not allowed to form part of the normal community’s activities. The therapeutic recreation specialist should act as a conduit that reconnects the patient to the community and make them to feel accepted. To do this, he must empathize with the patient. Empathy has far-reaching effects in the management of these patients. The therapeutic recreation specialist should also be able to show love and concern to the patient. He should not be judgmental of the patient’s condition. Just as any other patient, the therapeutic recreation specialist should treat the patient’s information with utmost confidentiality. In cases where the patient is mentally impaired, the caregiver must be made aware of the patient’s condition.
The therapeutic recreation specialist should provide the caregiver with information on how to take care of the patient. In cases of exercise and fitness, the roles of the caregiver should be clearly defined. The caregiver is also wholly responsible for patients with mental disability. He or she should be of a sound mind and should be able to play her role in the process of recovery of the patients. It is the role of therapeutic recreation specialist to ensure that the caregiver is of a sound mind. He should ensure that he or she would be able to guide the patient through the prescribed treatment plan.
The profession of therapeutic recreation is as important as any other field in the health sector. The ultimate goal is the well-being of the patient and equipping them with the necessary skills to enable them lead a healthy life. Though faced with diverse challenges in their lives, the people with disability are able to realize their value and can even pursue their dreams successfully.
Works cited
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 1992. Print.
Carter M.J., and Andel G.E.V.: “Therapeutic Recreation: A practical Approach.” Waveland Press, 2011. Print
Coyle, Catherine and Shank, John: “Therapeutic Recreation in Health Promotion & Rehabilitation.” State College, PA: Venture Publishing, 2002. Print
Robertson, Terry and Long, Terry: “Foundations of Therapeutic Recreation.”Terry Robertson and Terry Long, 2008. Print
