"Introduction to Recreation Services for People With Disabilities continues to reflect a broad-based explanation of the role of practitioners in the interrelated fields of therapeutic recreation, inclusive recreation, and special recreation. This fourth edition represents a major revision, including the most current research and thinking about the interdisciplinary fields of recreation and disability studies. This book is intended to be an introductory text for all students in parks and recreation/leisure studies departments."--Provided by publisher.

Introduction to Recreation Services for People With Disabilities continues to reflect a broad-based explanation of the role of practitioners in the interrelated fields of therapeutic recreation, inclusive recreation, and special recreation. This fourth edition represents a major revision, including the most current research and thinking about the interdisciplinary fields of recreation and disability studies. This book is intended to be an introductory text for all students in parks and recreation/leisure studies departments. Every student, whether she or he intends to work in a provincial park or a state hospital, a community recreation center or a community mental health center, a public school or a cruise ship, needs a basic level of knowledge about people with disabilities. The central theme of this book is that people with disabilities are people who have the same needs and wants as anyone else and deserve the right to be at the center of their services. Each person with a disability is a person first, not a disability. Recreation services must be centered around the person who is being served. That is, whether treatment-oriented recreation therapy, goal-oriented special recreation, or activity-oriented inclusive recreation, it is the person and not the professional or even the activity that must be at the center of service delivery. It is our hope that you will begin to see people with disabilities as people as you learn about recreation and therapeutic recreation services. If you emerge from this book (or your class) with this person-centered knowledge, then you will have learned a lot about how to provide recreation services to people with disabilities. Whether or not you happen to be a person with a disability, our more earnest hope is that you will emerge with a commitment to ensure that people with disabilities are treated as people who are at the center of their programs and services. This means that you will become an advocate, maybe even a zealot, on behalf of people with disabilities. You will encourage friends and colleagues to use people-first and respectful language. You will refrain from jokes that perpetuate stereotypes. You will be part of a new breed of recreation and therapeutic recreation professionals who celebrate differences and strive to provide person-centered and responsive services.

This is a best-selling introductory book, intended for all students in parks, recreation, and leisure studies, regardless of specialty. It provides an essential, basic knowledge level of people with disabilities. Common themes are presented by the authors in a manner allowing readers to develop their own personal views of therapeutic recreation, and this approach keeps the focus of service on the customer.

Take a closer look at recreation issues for persons with disabilities in [the book]. By focusing on inclusive recreation, the authors offer concrete suggestions for integrating people with and without disabilities into the same recreational activities. An early introduction to related legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, makes legal issues clear and helps you understand the implications these laws will have for your career, whether or not you'll be working in the recreation industry. [The book] looks beyond the therapeutic nature of recreation by demonstrating that persons with disabilities should be considered leisure service consumers. -Back cover. This textbook was written primarily for undergraduate students, especially those in their first two years of study. As such, it is appropriate for use in community or junior college courses, as well as within four-year baccalaureate programs. -Pref.

Foundations of Therapeutic Recreation, Second Edition, introduces students to the many career possibilities in the field of therapeutic recreation. Drawing on the combined wisdom and expertise of editors Terry Long and Terry Robertson, as well as 20 contributing authors who represent a broad spectrum of experiences within the discipline, the text provides the foundational concepts that are essential for understanding the profession. One of the more significant updates to the second edition of Foundations of Therapeutic Recreation is a more contemporary description of models of practice, including significant attention to strength-based models and approaches to practice. In addition, the second edition has been updated to reflect current National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) requirements for obtaining the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) credential. Other updates to this edition include the following: Integration of more global perspectives on therapeutic recreation Greater emphasis of evidence-based practice for designing and delivering enjoyable and beneficial therapeutic recreation interventions Streamlined content and reorganized chapters to facilitate a natural progression throughout the semester Each chapter contains a summary and discussion questions to help assess and promote retention of key concepts. In addition, case studies provide students with a glimpse of client issues they may face in the future, and professional profiles highlight outstanding professionals in the field. Students will discover potential areas in which therapeutic recreation can be practiced—including mental health centers, programs for those with developmental disabilities, physical rehabilitation facilities, youth development programs, and programs for the aging population—and will also be exposed to potential changes and uses of therapeutic recreation as technology innovations, public policy, and service demand trends evolve. Plus, instructors will find a suite of ancillaries to assist in managing their course. The instructor guide includes learning objectives for each chapter along with sample classroom activities and assignments. The test bank has been expanded, and the presentation package has undergone significant revisions to reflect the content of the text. Foundations of Therapeutic Recreation, Second Edition, provides students with evidence-based information on fundamental concepts in the field of therapeutic recreation. With a reader-friendly format and engaging style, this text will help students explore the various career possibilities in the field.

Evaluation is a process that each of us uses every day. Professionals in any field of human services must have the means to access and assess information. Having information is not enough, however, unless that information can be applied and used. To organize and manage recreation services (i.e., all elements related to the various specialties in the field such as parks, tourism, sports, arts, therapeutic recreation, camping, event management), information is needed about people's preferences, needs, and behaviors and the programs, administrative structures, and resources that comprise the organizations. To build a body of knowledge and to document the value of recreation, systematic processes are necessary. Evaluation and research can provide information that will enable "enlightened decisions." Evaluating Recreation Services: Making Enlightened Decisions, Fourth Edition, is about systematic evaluation and research that focuses specifically on identifying explicit evaluation criteria or research questions, collecting evidence or data, and making judgments about the value or the worth of something applied to service improvement or knowledge development. This book aims to provide a basic overview and working knowledge of procedures. Knowing basic steps in evaluation research and having some familiarity with evaluation and research tools can help you to begin a process of lifelong learning about systematic inquiry.