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Recreational Therapy

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Handbook of Interdisciplinary Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Part of the book series: Autism and Child Psychopathology Series ((ACPS))

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Abstract

Leisure and recreation are words used to define the activities, experiences, and time that are perceived to be free and enjoyable and therefore include the passions and preferences of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). These concepts are related to enhanced quality of life. The benefits associated with recreation and leisure participation for individuals with ASD are many. Some of these benefits include improvement in physical functioning, improvement in cognitive functioning, improvement in communication and social skills, reduction in nonadaptive or inappropriate behavior, increase in age-appropriate behavior in the community, and enhancement of friendship and social support networks. Recreational therapists are individuals who have earned the credential of “Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist” by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (www.nctrc.org). Recreational therapists work with clients who have ASD in a variety of settings including homes, schools, clinics, hospitals, camps, and municipal parks and recreation departments in order to maximize the leisure experience. This chapter defines what recreational therapy is and describes how recreational therapy is provided and identifies several benefits associated with recreation and leisure participation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Therapeutic Recreation of Nebraska, Omaha, NE, USA

    Kari Kensinger

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  1. Kari Kensinger
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Correspondence to Kari Kensinger .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA

    Robert D. Rieske

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Kensinger, K. (2019). Recreational Therapy. In: Rieske, R.D. (eds) Handbook of Interdisciplinary Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13027-5_21

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