Just Posted on ATRA Members' Forum
In response to a post by Norma Stumbo, I just posted the following on ATRA's Members' Forum:
Wow, Norma really gave it all she had in her recent post! While I have great respect for her efforts on behalf of our profession, I found her presentation of the implications of using the expression recreational therapy to be misleading in several respects.
I do believe she largely built “straw men” arguments against RT and then knocked them down. For example, she stated RT implies a medical model approach. This simply is NOT true. The use of the term RT does imply a systematic approach that involves assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. On the other hand the term therapeutic recreation is often construed (especially by OTs and others who oppose us) to mean simply the delivery of recreation services to persons who are disabled.
Another assertion is that RT implies “a strict focus on the client’s deficits and limitations instead of also leveraging the client’s strengths….” Nothing could be further from the truth. RT has always employed a strength-based approach focusing on clients’ strengths and abilities.
A third misrepresentation of RT is that the focus of recreational therapy is only on “functional ability” to the neglect of community reintegration and building social skills, including leisure skills. She even goes so far as to raise whether this will “shut us out of jobs? Out of a future.” Come on! Most would acknowledge that one of the hallmarks of RTs has always been their holistic approach that goes far beyond functional abilities. And employing such scare tactics about people’s jobs is a bit much. I believe that the use of the term therapeutic recreation has slowed down the growth of our profession and that using the term recreational therapy will lead to increased credibility being given to our profession.
The statement that there would be a large financial cost for the name change is simply not true according to what those in ATRA have stated (see Kelly’s post). And I sincerely believe that the thousands who call themselves recreational therapists will join our professional association once they see it as an organization that actually represents them and their profession.
Finally, in the post it was stated that “The overwhelming majority of educators and university administrators support the use of therapeutic recreation” but there is no source cited for this statement. I do not believe it is true. The vast majority of educators I have spoken with FAVOR the name change.
I could go on in discussing what I believe to be other misunderstandings of recreational therapy contained in the post. I would rather ask ATRA members to read the positive posts of nationally prominent leaders such as John Jacobson, Peg Connolly, Thom Skalko, Ray West, and Vicki Scott -- all of whom endorse the name change.
There are many reasons to support the name change to ARTA. If you look back historically you will realize that our wonderful profession has not grown as it should have while we stuck with the TR term -- a term that has not served us well. It is time for change!
Wow, Norma really gave it all she had in her recent post! While I have great respect for her efforts on behalf of our profession, I found her presentation of the implications of using the expression recreational therapy to be misleading in several respects.
I do believe she largely built “straw men” arguments against RT and then knocked them down. For example, she stated RT implies a medical model approach. This simply is NOT true. The use of the term RT does imply a systematic approach that involves assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. On the other hand the term therapeutic recreation is often construed (especially by OTs and others who oppose us) to mean simply the delivery of recreation services to persons who are disabled.
Another assertion is that RT implies “a strict focus on the client’s deficits and limitations instead of also leveraging the client’s strengths….” Nothing could be further from the truth. RT has always employed a strength-based approach focusing on clients’ strengths and abilities.
A third misrepresentation of RT is that the focus of recreational therapy is only on “functional ability” to the neglect of community reintegration and building social skills, including leisure skills. She even goes so far as to raise whether this will “shut us out of jobs? Out of a future.” Come on! Most would acknowledge that one of the hallmarks of RTs has always been their holistic approach that goes far beyond functional abilities. And employing such scare tactics about people’s jobs is a bit much. I believe that the use of the term therapeutic recreation has slowed down the growth of our profession and that using the term recreational therapy will lead to increased credibility being given to our profession.
The statement that there would be a large financial cost for the name change is simply not true according to what those in ATRA have stated (see Kelly’s post). And I sincerely believe that the thousands who call themselves recreational therapists will join our professional association once they see it as an organization that actually represents them and their profession.
Finally, in the post it was stated that “The overwhelming majority of educators and university administrators support the use of therapeutic recreation” but there is no source cited for this statement. I do not believe it is true. The vast majority of educators I have spoken with FAVOR the name change.
I could go on in discussing what I believe to be other misunderstandings of recreational therapy contained in the post. I would rather ask ATRA members to read the positive posts of nationally prominent leaders such as John Jacobson, Peg Connolly, Thom Skalko, Ray West, and Vicki Scott -- all of whom endorse the name change.
There are many reasons to support the name change to ARTA. If you look back historically you will realize that our wonderful profession has not grown as it should have while we stuck with the TR term -- a term that has not served us well. It is time for change!
posted by Hoosier RT | 3:53 PM
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