- Introduction to Therapeutic Recreation Services
- Where to Find a TRS - Hospital and Rehabilitation Facilities
- Where to Find a TRS - Psychiatric or Mental Health Programs
- Where to Find a TRS - Residential or Group Home Facilities
- Where to Find a TRS - City or County Parks Department
- Where to Find a TRS - Correctional Facilities
- Where to Find a TRS - School Districts
- Degree Requirements and Credentials for a TRS
- About the Author
- Note
- Professional Organizations
- A Paradigm Shift in Youth Sports and Recreation Is Needed to Include More Youths with Disabilities and Health Conditions Including Obesity into the Mainstream of Sports and Recreation in America
- Access Board Issues New Accessibility Guidelines
- What to Know Before You Go: The Big Questions to Ask Before Arriving at Your "Accessible" Recreation Destination
- Municipal Partners for Inclusive Recreation: A Model of Success in St. Louis County
- Parks and Recreation Budget Cuts "Phase" Accommodation
- Providing Inclusive Recreation Opportunities: The Cincinnati Model
- Open Spaces: No Bounds to Outdoor Recreation
- Summary of the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment
- Physical Activity, Leisure and Recreation for Youth with Disabilities: A Primer for Parents
- Making A Splash: Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Aquatic Venues
- Principles for Adapting Activities in Recreation Programs and Settings
- Adoption of the Revised ADA Standards for Accessible Design What it Means to Recreation Facilities
- Best Practice of Inclusive Services: The Value of Inclusion
- Retrofitting an Accessible Whitewater Park
Kristin Ruprecht, MS, CTRS
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| Photo of a young man using a wheelchair being pushed through and obstacle course. |
The therapeutic recreation specialist (TRS) is an important ally for people with disabilities working toward successful integration into the community. Therapeutic recreation (TR), also known as Recreation Therapy, is the provision of recreation and leisure services to people with disabilities or illnesses.
David Austin, Professor and Graduate Coordinator of Therapeutic Recreation at Indiana University, says, 'TR is a purposeful intervention that uses recreation to bring about health restoration...(and) has the potential to enhance health or produce high-level wellness.' Therapeutic recreation specialists provide recreation to meet the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social needs of people they serve. Connecting with a therapeutic recreation specialist not only increases awareness of the endless recreation possibilities available for people with disabilities through education and the use of adaptive equipment, but also bridges the gap between successful community integration and the person with a disability.
