Running head: ACTIVITY PORTFOLIO 1

Activity Portfolio 1
Gracica Thelusma
Florida International University
September 9, 2016

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Activity Portfolio 1
Facilitation Technique category: Facility-Based Adventure Therapy
Activity Title: Campfire Sing along
Source: Hastings, Complete Handbook of Activities and Recreational Programs for Nursing
Homes, 1981
Equipment: Create fake fire pit, with uplight, a fan, tub, red cello strips for fake fire, or just the
use of a fake fireplace insert. Place undecorated Christmas trees like some spruce or pine boughs,
a small pup tent with a light inside, along with other camping items. Also, some motion sensor
animals like owls or birds to add to the trees for more creativity. Furthermore, play some wildlife
peaceful music in the background such as water, wolf, cricket sounds. Bring creativity and fun.
Activity Description: Facility-based adventure activities are generally taken place at or near
facilities that actually administer therapeutic procedures and utilize the outdoors close or around
the facilities (Diane Groff, 2016). Participants who live in nursing homes and who are involved
actively in social group activities tend to be less depressed than those who do not participate in
any social recreational activities with other participants in the same facilities (Hastings, 1981).
Camp fire sing along is a type of facility-based adventure activity which involves any size of
social group of people and its goal is to form a climate that gives participants the impression of
outdoor camping adventure experience along with smells and sounds for the experience to be
authentic. Also, it is done in order to facilitate participants to talk about their past camping
experiences. First, around 5 pm in the evening, participants will be sitting down surrounding the
campfire. Second, anybody could choose to bring instruments even the participants such as
guitars, harmonicas, fiddles so people can sing along while playing the instruments. Third,

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someone in the social group could propose to just share stories where it would be a great
opportunity for participants to also share their personal stories as well. Since this would be an
early evening event, specialists could also serve a light supper such as some tea and hot
chocolate in aluminum containers using scoops. Furthermore, specialists could serve toasted
marshmallows on sticks to make it even more interesting and fun, and this activity could take
place either inside or outside of facilities or the surrounding areas.
Leadership Considerations: Certified therapeutic recreation specialists must conduct a thorough
assessment on participants to determine areas of concerns concerning their health such as their
cognitive level and lack, their behavioral characteristics, their physical function level, their
personality traits, their past and present leisure interests as well as environmental factors that
could affect their leisure participation in order to come up with the correct adaptations and
therapeutic goals that match their level of skills and needs prior the session starts (Heather R.
Porter, Ph.D., CTRS, 2015, p. 248).
Adaptations: Participants with Alzheimers disease: Alzheimers disease can present with
progressive deterioration of cognitive functioning where memory loss occurs, problem-solving
and thinking skills get diminished and affect their activities of everyday life (Heather R. Porter,
Ph.D., CTRS, 2015, p. 242). Depending on the stages participants with Alzheimers disease are
in, in order for a successful experience to occur doing this specific adventure activity called
campfire sing along, specialists would have to make sure that they address some areas of
concerns found in participants with Alzheimers disease which are complex attention where
participants tend to get distracted easily so things would need to be simplified to avoid confusion
in participants by having smaller groups of at least 5 people or even one on one session with
therapists than larger groups doing campfire sing along activity, executive function which is

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when they lose track of their activities of daily living because they got interrupted while they
were doing it, in this case doing campfire sing along, specialists would make sure participants do
not get interrupted while getting involve with others in the process so that they can retain their
focus and may not lose interest in the activity, learning and memory which is in mild cases where
it is difficult for them to remember recent events and may be repetitive with some stories that
occurred a couple of weeks ago. In this case, specialists would encourage them to speak by
giving them the time to express themselves to avoid frustrations, language which is finding
words may become difficult that they end up not talking at all. It is best by specialists to not rush
them when they are speaking when trying to share their stories, perceptional-motor abilities
which is related to location of where they are in mild cases, they may need directions to move
around or even specialists can provide them with maps so they do not get lost and confused; last
but not least, social cognition which is the inability to respond proper to others while having
discussions where they may appear insensitive to others. Specialists should always mix their
therapeutic programs by adding either family members or caregivers for best results (Heather R.
Porter, Ph.D., CTRS, 2015, pp. 243-250).
Participants with Spina Bifida: Spina bifida affects several body systems such as the
integumentary system, muscular system, urinary, gastrointestinal, nervous systems and more;
therefore, it is important that specialists help participants improve their quality of life by
providing them with personal assistive devices such as walkers, braces, crutches, wheelchairs,
etc., and getting them involved in adventure activities like campfire sing along to help them stay
active and involved with other participants physically and mentally so that could prevent
secondary condition such as obesity due to lack of movement and especially depression due to
health condition and improve their moods by getting them involved in sharing their stories,

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singing expressing themselves so they can gain self-efficacy, confidence and independency in
life in general. Since participants with spina bifida may experience different health problems it is
always wise to always include some types of supports such as family members in the therapeutic
programs or activities. Specialists would make sure that the place or the environment is safe for
them by avoiding anything with latex which can produce allergic reactions on them. (Heather R.
Porter, Ph.D., CTRS, 2015, pp. 355-368).

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References

Diane Groff. (2016). Adventure Therapy. In P. a. John Dattilo, Facilitation Techniques in

Therapeutic Recreation (pp. 13-14). Pensylvannia : Venture.
Hastings, L. E. (1981). Complete Handbook of Activities and Recreational Programs for Nursing
Homes. Prentice Hall.
Heather R. Porter, Ph.D., CTRS. (2015). Recreational Therapy for Specific Diagnoses and
Conditions. Washington: Idyll Arbor Recreational Therapy Practice Series.

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Portfolio 1 Part 2
Facilitation Technique Category: Therapeutic Use of Sailing
Activity Title: Learning Weather Patterns: Navigation rules, adaptations, and emergency
procedures
Source: Cari Autry & Stephen Anderson. (2016). Facilitation Techniques in Therapeutic
Recreation. In Therapeutic Use of Sailing (pp. 185-202). Pennsylvania: Venture.
Equipment: Water, sailboat, life jacket
Activity Description: Since sailing itself is both physical and mental, participants will be
required to learn to understand and appreciate weather at another level as well as appropriate
weather dress code for sailing itself (Cari Autry & Stephen Anderson, 2016, p. 187). The purpose
of learning weather patterns is to learn and retain awareness about current forecasted weather.
Sensing when the wind changes speed and direction can assist predict weather modifications
such as knowing the meaning of different cloud formations which give us warning signs about
weather. In addition, learning about how currents and water depth could affect the direction of
the boat when sailing is also useful for safety reasons to prevent sailing around; therefore,
knowing how to read charts when sailing off shores or in large water surroundings is also crucial.
Last, but not least, in case the weather might inhibit the hearing and sight of sailors, sailor
participants must know where the dock is and being alert of where other boats are, and knowing
some of these components about sailing can make the experience even more enjoyable (Cari
Autry & Stephen Anderson, 2016, p. 188). Navigation rules is a requirement to learn so boat
collision can be avoided by knowing which side of the boat the wind is coming over so that
proper adjustment can be made. Specialist will teach them about the boat parts such as a port
tack which is the left side of the boat and a starboard tack which is the wind coming over the

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right side of the boat. At last, a sailing quiz will be given to evaluate their learning experience
about the boat parts. Adaptations are needed to learn and be reviewed for a successful and safe
experience. Some participants may be more limited than others; therefore, those with more
limitations may be required to use proper clothing according to the weather in general. First
clients will be instructed to take precautions while in the sun by wearing sunscreen, second,
wearing clothing with many layers that can cover and shade their skin and in case temperature
changes occur so participants could remove or add layers accordingly. Next, emergency
procedures in case of what if plan occurs such as heat exhaustion or hypothermia. Firstly,
specialist will be teaching about first aid procedures such as heaving-to. Clients will learn to stay
still in the water with the sails being up, man overboard; lastly, righting capsized boat which can
be done in water or on land with several drills and enough time to practice. Secondly,
participants will be taught about solutions and signals when in-water distress, heat exhaustion,
stroke and hypothermia (Cari Autry & Stephen Anderson, 2016, pp. 191-192).
Leadership considerations: Specialists should always take the time to interview and assess
participants level of skills and limitations such as communication, any concerns, interests, needs,
strengths, action risk reduction, and informed consent prior to conducting any sailing activities in
order to determine if they are in need of any adaptations. It is important to assess also their
swimming skills and some may have to pass successfully a swimming test as well, and if they
have some types of physical impairment that affect their movements or they do not know how to
swim, specialists should be aware of that for proper accommodations for them. Specialists
should also be competent, knowledgeable and know the language of sailing and be able to
comply to shipping law (Cari Autry & Stephen Anderson, 2016, pp. 186-191).

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Adaptations: Participants with Spinal Cord Injury: Participants may have lost their function
or sensation of their either lower extremity or all four limbs; therefore, in order to ensure a
fulfilling sailing experience, proper adaptations for learning weather patterns in terms of
navigation rules, adaptations, and emergency procedures. Participants with spinal cord injury
may not be able to perspire or retain heat and notice temperature changes; therefore, specialists
should monitor them closely for proper adaptations by assisting them in wearing proper sailing
attire that cover up the whole body and any equipment that will be touching participants skin,
wearing rubber-soled shoes that cover the toes properly, and the type of fabric being used in
clothing, some gloves for the hands. Safety is a huge concern in emergency situations especially
for participants with physical disability such as spinal cord injury, they have to have some life
vests or belts approved by U.S. Coast Guard approved personal floatation device (PFD) to avoid
drowning or close drowning may and extra clothing according to the weather conditions
especially if they have pressure sores to protect their skin by covering it completely (Cari Autry
& Stephen Anderson, 2016) (Heather R. Porter, PhD., CTRS, 2015, pp. 369-383). Also, they will
be taught about the boat parts and make the ambulation easier by removing any clutter on their
ways using the electric servo-assist drive joystick. They can also help signaling weather changes
by learning about the flow of winds through asking them basic questions after being taught about
the weather in order to get them engage deeper in sailing activities (Cari Autry & Stephen
Anderson, 2016).
Participants with Blindness: The adaptations would be done according to the participant needs
and skill levels which will be determined through assessment prior engaging into sailing
activities always. Since people with blindness lost their visual abilities partially or totally, the
only adaptation a participant with blindness will need is another person in the sailboat to direct

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he/she using verbal cues. Also, they will be wearing proper sailing attire and life vest for safety
and emergency situations for increasing their sailing experience and giving them a sense of
accomplishment and avoid depression and isolation by getting involved in recreation and leisure
activities on a regular basis. (Cari Autry & Stephen Anderson, 2016, p. 189) (Heather R. Porter,
PhD., CTRS, 2015).

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References

Cari Autry & Stephen Anderson. (2016). Facilitation Techniques in Therapeutic Recreation. In
Therapeutic Use of Sailing (pp. 185-202). Pennsylvania: Venture.
Heather R. Porter, PhD., CTRS. (2015). In Recreational Therapy for specific Diagnoses and
conditions (pp. 124, 417-426). Washington: Idyll Arbor's Recreational Therapy Practice Series.