Therapeutic Recreation: Fun Activities to Improve Life
The term “recreation” covers more than just play time. Recreation is an activity of leisure that people do every day. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment or amusement. Therapeutic recreation (TR) helps children engage in structured activities that are focused on education and on addressing social and leisure skills. Most important, TR at Cincinnati Children’s makes it possible for children and young adults with injuries, physical challenges or developmental disabilities to engage in activities that integrate them into family life and into the community.
What Therapeutic Recreation Offers your Child
TR offers interventions for inpatients and for children in the residential psychiatric programs at Cincinnati Children’s. These activities are directed by the physicians and medical teams overseeing the patient’s care.
Recreational therapy interventions are intended to assist your child with aspects of daily life. Positive results of therapeutic recreation include building self-confidence, promoting self-reliance, enriching quality of life and teaching valuable leisure skills.
Therapeutic Recreation Services in Psychiatry
At Cincinnati Children’s, recreational therapists are members of the psychiatric treatment teams in the Residential Treatment Center at the College Hill Campus. Recreational therapy interventions include social and leisure skill acquisition, improving functioning in the community as well as stress management and relaxation techniques.
Therapeutic Recreation on Inpatient Units
Typical goals for recreational therapy intervention on the inpatient unit include improving the physical and psychosocial functioning of each child served. Interventions include leisure skill acquisition, play skills and teaching coping skills. Recreational therapists also coordinate community reintegration and offer access to community resources based on individual needs.
Contact Us
For more information about therapeutic recreation at our College Hill Campus (Residential Treatment Center), contact Matt Schwendeman, OTR/L, in the Division of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, 513-803-0841.
For more information about therapeutic recreation at our Burnet Campus (inpatient services), contact Kelly Dreyer, OTR/L, in the Division of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, 513-636-0690.
