Finding Leisure

Home > Finding Leisure > Benefits

Definition

Awareness

Skills Learning & Rehearsal

Self-Determination

Benefits

Overcoming Barriers

Therapeutic Recreation Services

Settings

Activity

Benefits

The outcomes of a good leisure education program will be an individual who will be aware of the value and importance of leisure in their current and future life, have a variety of leisure skills and interests, have available many options and opportunities to experience preferred leisure activities, be able to make expressions of choice about what they want to do for fun, and draw upon, as needed, the resources and support of family, friends, and others in the community.

Ultimately, the goal of the leisure education process is to "enhance the quality of a person's life through leisure" (Chinn & Joswiak, 1981, p.5)

For the younger child, leisure education will afford the child opportunities to:

• Explore and better understand his or her environment;
• Help him or her adjust and adapt to the limitations initially imposed by his or her disability;
• Interact with leisure materials for sensory, emotional, mental, and physical stimulation, to understand cause and effect relationships, to develop play skills, or to have an option that takes the place of self-stimulatory or other excessive behaviors; and,
• Develop interaction, communication, and other socialization skills with peers, leading to greater inclusion within school and community settings.

Developing a positive leisure lifestyle can start at any age.

For the young teen to young adulthood, leisure education assists them to move from childhood to adulthood in ways typical to their peers without disabilities:

• Leisure awareness, self-knowledge, and activity and social skills become more refined and engrained.
• Obstacles to a personally satisfying and meaningful current and future leisure lifestyle are recognized, then reduced or eliminated altogether;
• An increased focus on making choices and decisions about leisure alternatives contributes to the youth becoming more self-determined (less dependent on parents and teachers);
• The youth will develop a varied leisure repertoire (more interests, more skills, more options) and a greater circle of friends and will be involved in school-sponsored social, recreational, and sports programs;
• Successful leisure and 'free-time' involvement, particularly in community-wide recreation and sports programs and settings, but also within other community places like home, work, and post-secondary educational settings, is achieved.

Community programs provide many opportunities for youth with and without disabilities to be involved in positive leisure pursuits.

« Previous  |   Next »