WEBVTT

00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:02.740
>> My name is Dr. Linda Mitchell and I'm owner

00:00:02.740 --> 00:00:06.650
and operator a therapeutic
recreation private practice.

00:00:06.650 --> 00:00:11.470
We serve individuals with developmental
disabilities in and around Philadelphia;

00:00:11.470 --> 00:00:14.700
however, we are based in
Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.

00:00:14.700 --> 00:00:20.940
Therapeutic recreation is an allied health
profession that uses recreation, leisure, play,

00:00:20.940 --> 00:00:25.440
and social experiences in a
prescribed way to help individuals

00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:28.720
with disabilities to function at a higher level.

00:00:28.720 --> 00:00:34.610
For example, if an individual with a
developmental disability wanted to go

00:00:34.610 --> 00:00:37.060
to a line dance class for example,

00:00:37.060 --> 00:00:42.860
but this individual not only had an intellectual
disability, he also experienced social anxiety

00:00:42.860 --> 00:00:47.920
and distress and not sure what the "lay
of the land" is, but was really excited

00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:51.030
about the possibility of
learning how to line dance.

00:00:51.030 --> 00:00:56.910
The recreation therapist would be that person
that would support that individual before,

00:00:56.910 --> 00:00:59.250
during, and after such an experience.

00:00:59.250 --> 00:01:06.380
For example, the recreation therapist would
be person that would patiently explain

00:01:06.380 --> 00:01:10.510
to individual with the disability
what line dancing is to make sure

00:01:10.510 --> 00:01:16.360
that the individual understood the whole idea
of line dancing and not just learning steps,

00:01:16.360 --> 00:01:21.970
but the idea of socializing with other
line dancers and just having some fun,

00:01:21.970 --> 00:01:26.260
nobody's perfect, a lot of reassurance
and then you speak with that person

00:01:26.260 --> 00:01:29.990
where there might be some
line dancing opportunities in

00:01:29.990 --> 00:01:33.130
and around the neighborhood
with which he is familiar.

00:01:33.130 --> 00:01:38.230
Then the recreation therapist would be that
individual that would go to the line dance class

00:01:38.230 --> 00:01:42.010
with that individual, talk
with them a little bit even

00:01:42.010 --> 00:01:45.890
in the car before you would
go into the line dance class.

00:01:45.890 --> 00:01:50.710
It gives them some suggestions
as to opening lines such as,

00:01:50.710 --> 00:01:52.810
"So how long have you been coming here?"

00:01:52.810 --> 00:01:54.430
"Or my name is."

00:01:54.430 --> 00:01:59.870
Oh, I hope I do well today, or those
kinds of phrases that often individuals

00:01:59.870 --> 00:02:04.750
with developmental or even social skills
deficits might have a struggle within that type

00:02:04.750 --> 00:02:10.360
of environment, and then within the line
dance class, the recreation therapist would be

00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:15.670
that person that would support
that client with or that individual

00:02:15.670 --> 00:02:20.350
within that experience being right
there with them, helping the person

00:02:20.350 --> 00:02:25.000
to understand what the teacher's
talking about, periodically checking

00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:29.300
in to see how they're doing socially, how
are they feeling, are they feeling anxious,

00:02:29.300 --> 00:02:35.730
maybe even holding their hand a lot of
reassurance making suggestions such as,

00:02:35.730 --> 00:02:40.050
whenever this gets to be too much for
you we can step out and take a break,

00:02:40.050 --> 00:02:44.100
it's not a thing where you're going to stay
here until this line dance class if over,

00:02:44.100 --> 00:02:49.070
and then afterwards, on the way home,
that recreation therapist would chat

00:02:49.070 --> 00:02:53.160
with the individual about what the
experience was like, what they liked,

00:02:53.160 --> 00:02:58.120
what they didn't like, will they try it
again giving a lot of positive support

00:02:58.120 --> 00:03:01.360
about what the recreation
saw within that person,

00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:06.140
such as "You look like you were having a
wonderful chat with that other lady" or pointing

00:03:06.140 --> 00:03:13.190
out different examples of how the recreation
therapists perceive how the individual

00:03:13.190 --> 00:03:20.080
in the class with them was experiencing and
just doing a final assessment about what types

00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:26.700
of functional skills improvements happened
for that individual within that class.

00:03:26.700 --> 00:03:32.450
How they accepted the information before they
went into the class, what was going on for

00:03:32.450 --> 00:03:37.000
that person doing the class, watching
the person, watching their face,

00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:41.820
watching their movements and that kind
of things and just getting a good idea

00:03:41.820 --> 00:03:46.380
about whether those skills
could actually be parlayed

00:03:46.380 --> 00:03:49.200
into other areas of that individual's life.