Looking Forward to Meeting R277 Students

Yesterday I received an email message from Steve Lewis, M.S., CTRS, who is instructing HPER R277, Introduction to TR, this term at Indiana University. Steve invited me to meet with his students later this month.

I was blessed by being able to instruct outstanding students at IU for 29 years. I can assure you that IU RT/TR students are among the very best in North America -- and probably among the best in the world!

Steve said the topic that day will be the RT Process -- of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation -- often referred to as the "APIE" (pronounced "A-pie") Process.

I believe this is a central topic because the RT Process defines our profession. Without this systematic approach aimed at producing therapeutic outcomes there should be no claims made that RT is going on.

Simply providing recreation services to people with disabilities should not qualify as RT because it involves no systematic, planned intervention to bring about change in clients. Without the RT Process the profession there is no explicit therapetuic intent.

I'd better stop my rambling about the RT Process and save what I have to say for the IU students.

I can tell you (if it is not already apparent) that I'm already looking forward to meeting Steve's students and discussing the RT Process with them.