Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Recreational Therapy

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology

  • 40 Accesses

Synonyms

Activity therapy; Recreation therapy; Therapeutic recreation

Definition

Recreational therapy is a treatment to restore, remediate, or rehabilitate functioning, as well as promote health and wellness and reduce or eliminate activity limitations and restrictions caused by illness or disability, thru purposeful avocational activity that is pleasing to the patient. Goals may also include reduction or elimination of the symptoms of an illness or disabling condition. Interventions are aimed at maintaining the well-being of the patient on physical, mental, and emotional levels. Information provision, enhancement of existing skills, and facilitation of new skills are primary components. Interventions include creative arts therapies; sports; therapeutic engagement with pets, horses, and other animals; and adventure and challenge programs.

Current Knowledge

Description: Provided by therapists across a variety of settings, recreational therapy continues to grow as a profession to meet...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References and Readings

  • American Therapeutic Recreation Association. (1999). Promoting independence in life activities. Retrieved on June 13, 2008 at from http://www.atra-tr.org/aboutarticle.htm

  • Bedini, L. A., & Wu, Y. (1994). A methodological review of research in therapeutic recreation journal from 1986 to 1990. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 28 (2), 87–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard, D. (2007). Review of recreational therapy handbook of practice: ICF-based diagnosis and treatment. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 41 (2), 158–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter, H. R., & Burlingame, J. (2006). Recreational therapy handbook of practice: ICF-based diagnosis and treatment. Washington, DC: Idyll Arbor.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Spinal Cord Injury Clinic, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Ave. (128), Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA

    Jon Rose

  2. San Quentin State Prison, San Quentin, CA, USA

    Virginia A. Norris

Authors
  1. Jon Rose
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Virginia A. Norris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jon Rose .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Richmond, Virgin Islands, USA

    Jeffrey Kreutzer

  2. Kessler Foundation , West Orange, New Jersey, USA

    John DeLuca

  3. Suite 200 , Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA

    Bruce Caplan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG (outside the USA)

About this entry

Cite this entry

Rose, J., Norris, V.A. (2016). Recreational Therapy. In: Kreutzer, J., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_423-3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_423-3

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-56782-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-56782-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation