Lack of RT Curriculum Reform

Over the years, much of my writing and research has focused on the need to reform recreational therapy professional preparation programs. As ATRA president, I was able to bring about a curriculum conference in the mid-1990s. Resulting work lead to ATRA publishing a 1997 document that provided competency/curricular guidelines. Another curriculum conference was held last year but little has seemed to have evolved from it. This is too bad at a time when three levels of preparation are crying for reform. First, there needs to be agreement on guidelines for entry-level curricula. ATRA's 1997 competency/curriculum guidelines and McGree and Skalko's (2001) pilot study on entry-level competencies appeared to provide a strong foundation for entry-level reform. Yet, the profession has not been developed guidelines for entry-level preparation. Second, no helping profession can develop without advanced or master clinicians to move practice forward. It is apparent that master's level curricula need to produce clinicians for advanced practice. Research (Austin, Kastrinos & Stumpt, 1998) identified the existance of 40 some healthy master's programs. This research suggested there was much room for improvement in the preparation of master's students at these institutions. Yet, these universities have failed to provide consistency in master's preparation. Finally, there are less than 10 universities preparing Ph.D. students in RT. Even these institutions have not joined together to make sure future faculty have the type of preparation needed to advance the profession.

The profession is failing its students and handicapping itself by a lack of curricular reform. I plan to read and think more about the issue of curriculum reform and to use the RT blog as a means to urge action.