Recreation Therapy Courses

This course is an overview of the human lifespan. The major areas of study include the physical, cognitive, social, and personality domains of development. Students will complete assignments that demonstrate their understanding of human development. In addition, students will identify factors that promote human development.

The learner will be able to develop a personal philosophy of leisure through an understanding of the recreation delivery system and the benefits of leisure to society.

In this course, the student will be able to able to recognize and apply group process in the field of recreation. The student will be immersed in a group setting where skills necessary to effectively interact with others and specifically in small groups will be taught. Understanding self and personal patterns of communication and behaviour are examined. Participation in actual group processes provides the student with an opportunity to give and receive feedback on their own and other group member's personal growth and interactions.

In this course, students will be introduced to the Therapeutic Recreation Process. Students will develop skills in assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, and documentation. The Flourishing Through Leisure Model and Comprehensive Theory will be a focus of recreation therapy service provision. Activity Adaptation and program leadership will be explored and applied.

The student will be introduced to the practice of recreation therapy across the life cycle. The students will be able to identify and apply the competencies and skills necessary to work with people through the different stages of their life. An emphasis of the course will be on the concept of inclusion and its application in the lives of people with disabilities throughout their lives. The use of Montessori programming with pediatric and geriatric populations will be highlighted.

In this course, the student will experience a variety of inclusive, active, and passive recreation activities. The course is designed to help students develop leadership qualities, activity skills, and introduce community recreation resources which can be accessed for program development or personal leisure pursuits. This is an active course in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings. Activity modification, adaptation and inclusion will be emphasized.

In this course, students will be introduced to academic writing styles with a thematic focus on current issues. This course will help students to express themselves clearly and correctly in written form. Students will critically analyse assigned readings and express their thoughts. The course will also focus on the development of an academic paper utilizing the APA style of documentation.

The student will be introduced to the practice of Therapeutic Recreation. The students will be able to identify and apply the competencies and skills necessary to work with people with various disabilities. An emphasis of the course will be on the concept of inclusion and its application in the lives of people with disabilities.

In this course, students will explore community integration as it applies to therapeutic recreation. Students will use the therapeutic recreation process to contribute to the activities of a community-based Drop-In program. Students will explore criteria for safety, accessibility and community integration in recreation facilities. Students will explore and facilitate a community-based wheelchair sport.

In this course, the student will be able to apply organizational administrative practices in a therapeutic recreation setting. Students will gain experience in marketing strategies, developing promotional materials, writing policies and procedures, and creating volunteer management materials. There will be an opportunity to examine laws and regulations that apply to the field of recreation therapy, approaches to risk management, and financial management. Students will focus on developing a business plan using their skills learned throughout this course.

In this course, students will have the opportunity to develop their skills in planning, implementing, and evaluating physical activity programming. Students will learn concepts of physiology and anatomy pertinent to facilitating physical activity programs for diverse populations. Nutrition as it applies to health and wellness will also be explored.

This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare themselves for application in a career in the field of Recreation Therapy. Students will have an opportunity to focus on the specific requirements necessary for their chosen field of interest.

In this course, students will enhance their communication skills as needed in the community services field. They will acquire the skills necessary to write memos, letters, email, informal reports and proposals and presentations that meet the professional standards in the community services field. Students will combine collaborative methods with advanced research, written and oral skills to produce and present an infographic.

In this course, the student will apply the Leisure Ability Model and the Therapeutic Recreation Accountability Model to the practice of Recreation Therapy. Students will build on their knowledge of the therapeutic recreation process of assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, and documentation. Students will develop their understanding of activity analysis and task analysis. An electronic health records management system will be used to explore documentation.

This course provides an opportunity for students to experience and facilitate a variety of therapeutic interventions. Students will be actively involved in facilitative techniques such as but not limited to: Aquatic Therapy; Music Therapy; Dance Therapy; Massage Therapy; Relaxation Techniques; Adventure Therapy; Pet Therapy; Humour Therapy; Exercise Therapy; Horticultural Therapy; Expressive Arts Therapy; Reminiscence Therapy; and others.

In this course, students will explore a breadth of relevant trends in recreation therapy. Adaptive technology as it relates to communication, mobility, use of the environment, and cognitive functioning will be explored. Principles of Universal Design and the Human Activity Assistive Technology Model will be examined as they relate to adaptive technologies. The topics of multi-sensory environments, video games, virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, robotic companions, and tablet applications will be related to treatment outcomes. The process of administration of medication will be practiced and connections between medications and program design will be made. Cultural competence will be discussed with a focus on leisure subcultures. Students will practice processes related to the therapeutic use of magic. Sexual health will be explored as it relates to health-promoting leisure activity participation.

In this course, students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to plan, implement, and evaluate leisure education programs with clients. Students will examine models related to leisure education with a focus on Stumbo and Petersons Leisure Education Content Model and Datillo’s Leisure Education Model. Student will identify and explore the role of behavioural stages of change in leisure education.

In this course, students will complete an 80-hour agency-based placement. Students will work in consultation with the program coordinator and faculty to choose a field placement agency for their agency-based placement. Students will gain practical experience in the application of the knowledge, skills and attitudes that have been learned in their recreation therapy courses.

In this course, students will complete a 175-hour agency-based placement and a 175-hour lab-based placement. Students will work in consultation with the program coordinator and faculty to choose a field placement agency for their agency-based placement and to select a volunteer client for their lab-based placement. Students will gain practical experience in the application of the knowledge, skills and attitudes that have been learned in their other recreation therapy courses.

In semester 4, students should be prepared to make direct connections between the theory and the practice of Therapeutic Recreation. In this seminar, students will learn with and from each other's experiences in order to help broaden their knowledge and skill-set in the field of Therapeutic Recreation. Students will reflect, discuss, compare and demonstrate significant placement experiences and valuable facilitative techniques.