Recreation Therapy Timeline - Paper Example

American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) defines the concept of recreational therapy to be a process of offering treatment services that have the objective of restoration, remediation and rehabilitation of people's levels of independence and functioning in daily activities. Furthermore, Austin, Dattilo, and McCormick (2012) explicate on the application in alleviating and complete elimination of limitations to activities and restrictions that hinder individuals from actively to participating in meaningful activities.

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Recreation therapy is one of the practices that form the history of human since its conception dating back to 420 BC when Greeks practice recreational therapy as a holistic health. Furthermore, recreational therapy is part of the 250 AD as the descendants of Maya applied recreation as a section of their culture and religion (Carter, Andel, & Robb, 2011). Throughout the history, recreational therapy has evolved to be now one of the humans' daily practice of healing themselves, having fun and relieving stress. The section price the timeline for recreational therapy from 1930 to the present regarding developmental events, American legislation, associations and influential individuals during its evolution course and the influence on development recreation therapy profession.

1938: American Alliance for Health and Physical Education (AAHPE) introduced the term recreation to be American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (AAHPER) while still in Association with NEA.

1939: The year signified of the start US in the World War II. The event invokes the need for psychiatric treatment and psychological education for the returning soldiers.

1941: Augustus Menninger, a psychiatrist by profession, establishes Menninger Foundation and makes it a nonprofit psychiatric research institution in Kansas, Topeka. The event has a significant influence on recreational therapy profession in that it signified the continuance of psychology and psychiatric education research.

1941: There was the commencement of the review of the Therapeutic Section led to the release of the AAHPER-News.

1942: The concept of recreation worker began to be recognized in the American Recreation Society hence signifying the beginning of the recognition of recreation as a profession.

1945: The end of the world war where recreation activities assisted during the WWI for rehabilitation of soldiers injured during the combat war. After the end of the WWII, The directors of Red Cross Society approved the role of recreational in the provision of therapeutic value. VA hospitals supplemented it with the medical approval of recreational programs (Austin, Dattilo, & McCormick, 2012).

1949: Young professions allied to the then entire recreation movement pushed for the inclusion of Hospital Recreation Section as part of the American Recreation Society.

1950: HRS members of the New Orleans Congress formed a representation for hospital recreation employees from the public institutions, veterans, and military.

1952: The formation of Recreation Therapy section within AAHPERD to aid in the establishment of recreation therapy programs on schools and assist students living with disabilities.

1953: The formation of the Council for Advancement of Hospital Recreation (CAHR) with the purpose of strengthening the image of recreational therapy in hospital settings.

1956: CAHR representatives implemented the Voluntary Registration Plan to devise certification levels among recreational experts for professional standards.

1960: Joseph Wolfe led research studies among 1,000 patients with the aim of examining the statuses of the personnel in the recreation therapy departments in hospitals.

1963: The formation of Vocational Rehabilitation Administration Act (VRAA) for the purpose of providing research and training funds for hospitalized mentally challenged individuals. In professional development, it signifies the committed entry of the profession in the hospital and community-based programs (Mansfield, 2016).

1966-1972: In 1966 and 0172, there was an adoption and revision of professional ethics statement by NTRS respectively to form the foundation of professional ethical standards that JCAHO even today.

1973-1980: The appearance of therapeutic recreation textbooks such as the first one by Fryers and Peters "Therapeutic Recreation: its Theory, Philosophy and Practice" and subsequent editions up to 1978 (Carter, Andel, & Robb, 2011). In professional development it has the implication of the commencement of education and training in therapeutic recreation continuum.

1984: The formation of American Therapy Recreation Association (ATRA). It has significance in professional development since it symbolizes the concept of a body that empower recreational therapies.

1990: Upgrading the COAPRT competency and curricula for therapeutic recreation to enhance job reflection in human service and healthcare sector. There is also the enactment of Americans with Disabilities Act.

1991-1999: There is an intense discussion between NTRs and NRPA on the design and implementation of programs that leads to inclusion of all individual regardless of abilities in recreational therapy services. It leads to the appropriation of NTRS inclusion statement.

1998: The creation of Alliance for Therapeutic Recreation to deal with the changes occurring in the continuum of healthcare. 2000: National Institute of Recreation Inclusion (NIRI) hold the first meeting to enhance the attitude and image that TP profession has on individuals living with disabilities.

2004-2005: The formation of Disabilities Education Improvement Act 2004 in alignment with Individual Education Plan (IEP) of 2001 to facilitate post-school services among children living with disabilities.

2008-2009: Publication of ATRA document. COAPRT and TREC meet to produce a strategic plot for accreditation criteria following the provision of CHEA. There is also the signing of the Therapeutic Recreation Practice Act in line with Oklahoma Senate Bill 546 to define the scope of therapeutic recreation practice, licensures laws, and payment (Mansfield, 2016).

2010: Dissolution of NTRS branch and subsequent agreement signing with COAPRT for the recognition of therapeutic recreation as a specialty profession. CARTE officially becomes the accrediting body in recreation therapy profession while ATRA becomes the official sponsor of TP's educational and research programs.

2015: The amendment of XVIII section of Social Security Act for the recognition and inclusion of recreational therapy as one of the modality treatments in the intensive and inpatient rehabilitation units. It signifies the entrance of recreation therapy in the US health sector (Austin D., 2015).

2016: There is the incorporation of music therapy as a therapeutic recreational strategy following the Music Therapy Act 2015.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY Austin, D. (2015). Chapter 2: The History of Therapeutic Recreation: In Recreational Therapy: An Introduction (pp. 31-42). Urbana: Sagamore Publishing.

Austin, D., Dattilo, J., & McCormick, B. (2012). Conceptual Foundations for Therapeutic Recreation. New York: Springer.

Carter, M. J., Andel, G. V., & Robb, G. (2011). Chapter 2: Discovering the Roots of a Profession. In Therapeutic Recreation: A Practical Approach (pp. 27-65). Long Grove: Waveland Press.

Mansfield, J. (2016). Recreational therapy history by Categories. Retrieved from Therapeutic Recreation Directory: http://www.recreationtherapy.com/history/rthistory4.htm