Key research in the world’s largest aging population – in China – has fed into this important new work, which aims to answer questions critical to older people worldwide. These include: is the period of disability compressing or expanding with increasing life expectancy and what factors are associated with these trends in the recent decades? And is it possible to realize morbidity compression with a prolongation of the life span in the future? Essential reading for gerontologists.

If you work with older adults who are developmentally disabled and are seeking ways to incorporate exercise, arts activities, and other activities into your program, this is the book for you! Older Adults With Developmental Disabilities and Leisure will help you improve your ability to instruct exercise and other fitness activities and, at the same time, increase your knowledge about aging and mental retardation and developmental disabilities. This combination of skills and knowledge is important to your understanding of your clients and their needs. You will assist them in leading a more active, structured life that will result in a higher sense of satisfaction in their daily living and health benefits that will speak for themselves. Older Adults With Developmental Disabilities and Leisure gives you specific guidelines for establishing fitness programs as well as ideas for offering clients goals and incentives that will evoke and maintain their enthusiasm to participate. Using a proven model, the Arts/Fitness Quality of Life Activities Program, the authors show how careful planning and sequencing can produce successful results, such as peer interaction, flexible thinking, self-expression, and improved mental health. As you learn about the key factors for programming for this group of clients, you will also learn about: the demographics of this population leisure education training and cross-training with aging specialists and mental retardation staff community integration and for whom it is appropriate inactivity in later life and the complications it causes life satisfaction and leisure participation differences in physical and cognitive functioning among this population consumer satisfaction among older adults with developmental disabilities It is never too late to introduce leisure activities into the lives of those with developmental disabilities. With encouragement and careful guidance, you can lead your elders/clients into a more active and healthy life. Use Older Adults With Developmental Disabilities and Leisure as a guide to find activities and exercise programs that are appropriate, fun, and worthwhile!

Volume numbers determined from Scope of the guidelines, p. 12-13.

"Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common cause of physical disabilities in children. It is a broad term that describes a set of conditions that is associated with major physical impairments and other developmental deficits and arises in the early stages of brain development. Children and youth with CP often experience limitations in everyday activities in different life situations.Participation in leisure activities is an important aspect of health, as described by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Engagement in leisure activities is essential for the development of a series of crucial competencies for a healthy development. Recently, studies have found factors related to participation in children with physical disabilities. However, information is lacking with regards to participation of adolescents, particularly what types of leisure activities are preferred by this population and predictors of participation in different type of leisure activities. Understanding of factors associated with participation in leisure activities may contribute to the development of rehabilitation and community programs and policies.The primary objective of this study is to quantify the level (intensity and diversity) of participation in leisure activities of adolescents (12-19 years of age) with cerebral palsy (CP), and to estimate the potential influence of both intrinsic child characteristics and extrinsic environmental factors as determinants of leisure participation. The secondary objective of this study is to determine factors associated with preferences for specific leisure activities in this population of interest. A cross sectional design was used. A total of 185 adolescents (12-20 years old) completed the study. Participation was measured with the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) and preferences for activities was measured with the Preferences for Activities of Children (PAC). Results demonstrate that adolescents with CP participated in a variety of out-of-school leisure activities. Adolescents participated more in informal activities than formal activities. Adolescents engaged in a variety of recreational and social activities, but not in many self-improvement activities. Participation in skill-based activities was the least frequent type of activity done, but diversity and frequency of participation in physical activities was also limited.In terms of preferences for activities, social and physical activities were most preferred, and self-improvement activities were least preferred. Family factors, personal factors and functional abilities influenced leisure preferences. High preference for certain activities was not always associated with actual involvement in these activities. Models of determinants of intensity of participation in five leisure activity domains demonstrated that leisure is a multifaceted construct that appears to be associated with a variety of factors related to the adolescents' functional characteristics and attitudes, the family environment and socioeconomic status and other contextual factors such as school type. Aspects of the adolescent's mastery motivation and behavior were also associated with participation in different activity domains. The adolescent's perception of self in relation to competence in different life skills and physical appearance was also associated with participation in certain types of leisure activities. Rehabilitation interventions should consider adolescents' preferences and family dynamics to minimize barriers to leisure participation, such as low motivation or environmental obstacles, so as to promote engagement in leisure activities. Expanding the scope of rehabilitation interventions to support the creation of programs in the community and advocate for policies that may facilitate participation in a variety of activities is needed, to promote a healthy development and well-being for this at-risk population. " --

Seminar paper from the year 2003 in the subject Pedagogy - Orthopaedagogy and Special Education, grade: 1, Martin Luther University (Institut für Pädagogik), language: English, abstract: Leisure time and leisure activities are a very important part of the social rehabilitation of people with intellectual disabilities. It offers the opportunity to eliminate exclusions and promote social integration. The offer of leisure time, education and cultural participation is as important for a meaningful and self-determined life as work. "Especially (above all) the field of leisure is attributed a fundamental (original) importance for life realisation, life satisfaction and life happiness, since leisure, unlike work, is not subject to coercion or pressure to perform, but is based on voluntariness, freedom and self-decision" (Theunissen 1995, p.70). In this paper I would like to deal with the topic of "leisure time in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities". In doing so, I would like to find answers to the following questions: What leisure needs do mentally disabled people have and what might influence them? What does the leisure situation of people with intellectual disabilities look like? What tasks does this give rise to for leisure time education? For the elaboration I mainly used books by H. Ebert, R. Markowetz and H. Opaschowski. To supplement my notes, I used literature by Zielniok, Theunissen and others. First, I will go into more detail about Opaschowski's positive concept of leisure time, as this can be applied to all population groups and is therefore also valid for people with disabilities. Then I will talk about leisure needs and the difficulties they face. I will then discuss the question of the leisure situation in order to be able to better explain the tasks and goals of leisure education.