And the government has yet to fully appreciate its worth in the face of mounting demand for it. Therapeutic Recreation Recreation therapy, also called therapeutic recreation or TR, is the kind that aims at improving the functioning and independence of the ill or disabled (Asenjo 2005)
She also participates in the work of advisory committees in consulting with outside agencies for the constant and adequate provision of resources and services for her disabled patients (Asenjo). Downhill Skiing This was the sport of adolescent patients with orthopedic and neurological defects at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago (Bent et al
). TR for Older Adults with Dementia and Behavioral Symptoms Most of health care deals with disturbing behaviors by administering medications, such as Thorazine and Haldol (Buettner et al
). Recreation Grants in Jeopardy Considering a large and increasing sedentary population, the medical community predicts that close to 50 million persons could develop temporary or permanent disabilities (Hamilton & Cody 2002)
Recreation services should be expanded to enhance the lifestyle of millions of disabled people in the country (Hamilton & Cody). Tort Liability for TR Professionals Tort is a wrongful act, which results in the injury of another person for which the injured person is entitled to compensation (Taniguchi et al
The opportunity then lies in the ability of the therapist to help the child bridge the connection they have with the animal to interactions with people. "Unlike programs that provide what are known as animal assisted activities (AAA) in hospital and other settings, AAT [animal assisted therapy] interactions need to be goal directed, individualized to the patient, directed by a human health professional (like a therapist or social worker), and have documented progress… "The warm fuzzies are definitely a place to start the work, but it goes way beyond that…" (Bloomquist, 2003, para
As horses, when well trained and handled tend to be incredibly trusting and at low risk of unpredictable behavior that might alert the child to his or her anxiety, they have proven to demonstrate a remarkable ability to allow special needs children a rare opportunity of freedom from anxiety to learn and develop social/emotional and physical skills. (Chandler, 2005, pp
Though autism spectrum disorders are varied in an extreme curve, and some individuals are high functioning while others are nearly completely socially disconnected, recreational therapy seems to be geared to their special need to focus on objects or animals that are not threatening to them and can help them learn a set of structured goals, therapeutically defined, much like and individual learning plan (ILP) in education, that can then hopefully be better applied to real life situations. (Lundberg, 1998, p