Pediatric Recreation and Staff Education: Disability and Diversity Inclusive Education on Play and Leisure at a Pediatric Residential Services Facility

Abstract

Recreation is vital for promoting physical, social, and mental health for children through play and leisure. Children with disabilities face obstacles to recreation that can negatively impact their overall well-being, but caregiver intervention can improve these challenges. Children at a community residential facility experienced decreased recreational participation with staff due to low schedule adherence, language and cultural differences, and poor knowledge on recreation. The purpose of the capstone project was to address these barriers through employee education, training, and development of disability and diversity-inclusive activities in order to improve staff proficiency and engagement in recreation. Preliminary surveys completed by 31 workers yielded baseline data on their demographics, learning styles, and viewpoints on recreation. This information was used to create project materials including educational handouts, activity ideas, and equipment guidelines the student and staff could utilize for recreational engagement. Implementation challenges hindered initial project delivery and shifted the focus toward the creation of educational presentations for employees at the site. A learning survey given to 14 new hires and four recreation staff at these presentations evaluated the project’s effectiveness in improving knowledge and motivation for recreational engagement. Pre- and post- test data analyzed through paired t-tests found overall improvement in new and current workers’ knowledge, motivation, and confidence in recreation after presentations. Additionally, employees at the site reported greater engagement in recreational areas by the conclusion of the project. These findings demonstrate the capstone project increased competency, education, and participation in recreation for staff with children at the site.