Outdoor Adventure Programming for Individuals With Cognitive Disabilities Who Present Serious Accommodation Challenges

An outdoor adventure program was offered to 23 individuals with cognitive disabilities who presented serious accommodation challenges. Participants were accompanied by 23 support personnel, many of whom were group home staff, providing the capability of pair-wise response agreement. Assessment of ou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Therapeutic recreation journal 2006-07, Vol.40 (3), p.182
Main Authors: McAvoy, Leo, Smith, John G, Rynders, John E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adventure Education
Aggressiveness
Behavior
Disability
Leisure Time
Outdoors
Recreation
Skill development
Social integration
Social interaction
Socialization
Special education
Students with disabilities
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Summary:An outdoor adventure program was offered to 23 individuals with cognitive disabilities who presented serious accommodation challenges. Participants were accompanied by 23 support personnel, many of whom were group home staff, providing the capability of pair-wise response agreement. Assessment of outdoor recreation skills was done through a questionnaire on a pre-post basis; trip satisfaction was assessed through a post-trip questionnaire; and social/socialization development was assessed with a follow-up interview. Findings revealed that participants' outdoor skills, level of satisfaction and social/socialization abilities generally increased as a result of the outdoor experience. A set of programmatic strategies are offered as a means of supporting the participation of persons with cognitive disabilities who present serious accommodation challenges in an outdoor adventure program. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0040-5914
2159-6433