Facilitation Technique Category: Leisure Education

Activity Title: Implementing Leisure Education via Wake Leisure Model

Source: Dattilo, John, & McKenney, Alexis, (2016). Leisure Education. Facilitation
Techniques in Therapeutic Recreation. (pp. 569-591). State College, PA: Venture
Publishing.
Materials: Leisure notebook. Actual Leisure Environment. Various worksheets,
focusing on different areas of leisure. For example, a Leisure Time Clock, which
has the participant color a wheel with times of the whole day, the wheel would
indicate at what times they do each activity, frequency, and repetition. These
activities highlight clients concerns about improvements of leisure time, finding
leisure in common everyday places, ides for local places to enjoy leisure time, and
any barriers that may keep individuals from being able to enjoy leisure time
(Bullock, 55).
Activity Description: The Wake Model Leisure Education Program consists of ten
units, each one covering a different topic. However, though the topics vary, they all
intertwine into a greater understanding of leisure education and ways it can be
enjoyed despite disabilities (Bullock, 16). Every topic is broken down into goals,
objectives, session, and materials. Goals should always correspond to objectives, to
show client the importance of the relationship between the two. Also, each
participant should express their leisure practices and activities during each session.
Should any participants display barriers keeping them from enjoying leisure time,
proceed to discuss ways to work around these barriers (Bullock, 22). Interests that
are appropriate for clients are extremely important in facilitating an environment to
foster a true education in leisure (Bullock, 23).
Leadership Considerations: Therapeutic Recreation Specialists are expected to
provide twice weekly leisure education sessions for 8 weeks, along with training and
materials to enable the teacher to implement the program after the specialist's
initial intervention. Teachers are encouraged to participate in leisure education
sessions, assist therapist in communication with parents. Motivating students to
complete assignments, completing program evaluations, and providing feedback on
the content of the program are also required of the teachers for maximum results
(Bullock, 89). Pre-assessment and post-assessment are crucial and involve
interviewing participants on each enabling objective and assessing their
participation in leisure activities before and after activities (Hoge, 84). Facilitators
are responsible for taking note of which objectives have been reached. After
completion of the program is complete participants are reassessed using an
assessment sheet (Hoge, 84). According to Bullocks detailed manual, After the
student completes the ten units of the curriculum, units 8, 9 and 10 should be
repeated as often as possible to give the student practice in planning activities,
participating in the planned activities, and evaluating them as well as planning for
future leisure pursuits.
References:

Bullock, Charles C. (1991). The Wake Leisure Education Program of an Integral Part
of Special Education. The Center for Recreation and Disability Studies Curriculum in
Leisure Studies and Recreation Administration The University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill.
Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED337943.pdf
Hoge, Gail, & Wilhite, Barbara. (1997) Integration and Leisure Education for Older
Adults with Developmental Disabilities. Activities, Adaptation, & Aging, 21(3), 79-90.
DOI: 10.1300/J016v21n03_08