Facilitation Technique Category: Adventure Therapy

Activity Title: Basic Camping Skills

Source: Dattilo, J. (2000). Facilitation techniques in therapeutic recreation. Venture
Publishing Inc.
Equipment: Rope (preferably 2 different colors), Bottle for Water, Rubber Hose, Hand
Sanitizer, Plastic trovel/shovel, coffee filter, canteen.
Activity Description: Adventure therapy is a good form of therapy because it employs
an action centered approach while still staying within the field of therapeutic recreation
(TR). This type of therapy also helps to motivate clients to become mentally and
physically engaged into adventure activities. In addition, one of the characteristics that
helps set Adventure Therapy apart from other programs is that it helps get clients out of
their normal comfort zone, and into something new and exciting such as camping,
backpacking, and canoeing. The purpose of this activity is to teach participants some
basic camping skills of how to make a reef knot, how to find water in the wilderness, and
the proper way to filter water in the wilderness. The significance of knowing how to tie a
proper comes into play in situations where rock climbing may be necessary, as well as
situations where tying down/securing cargo for tents. Step one in making the Reef Knot
is to 1) take two ropes and cross them (red over blue) to form a half knot. Then 2) Cross
them a second time (red over blue again) and 3) pull the ends tight to form the Reef Knot.
When looking for water in the wilderness, one way to gather water is to look for a clear
flowing form of water, that is preferably coming from somewhere that is not a manmade
source. We do this because, more times than not, that water is highly polluted. In
addition, lakes, ponds and rivers are also good means for water, however be weary of
rivers because they may be coming from an area where is a high pollution rate. Even
lakes and ponds have high levels of bacteria, but thankfully most of these harmful
substances can be filtered through use of a fire and canteen. And lastly, the best pure
source of water would come from that of snow and ice, for it is by far the cleanest source
of water in the winter. However be warned to never, drink ice that is from the sea or
ocean. Now when it comes to purifying the water we found, the most effective way to
accomplish this, is through the use of boiling the water within the canteen. Once the
canteen has been heated enough to where there are clearly visible signs of the water
boiling or once it reaches 100 degrees Celsius, keep it there for 60 seconds, and that is
usually enough to kill most of the harmful bacteria and viruses that can come from the
water.
Leadership Considerations: For this activity the CTRS will be the instructor, and since
this activity will take place outdoors, the CTRS will also accompany the clients outdoors
as well. The activities mentioned for this specific session do not require a high level of
knowledge or technique, however it if of utmost importance that the CTRS employ a
level of seriousness when teaching the clients these camping skills. The reason behind the
level of seriousness is because in the wilderness, anything can go wrong at any point in
time, and the more prepared that one is, can make the difference between life and death.

So it is essential to employ this mindset into the clients, in order for them to take this
serious, and more importantly so that they can remember these skills for when they may
need them in the future. When dealing with the rope skills, make sure he clients do not
horseplay, and be cautious if any choking with the rope may be conducted. Additionally
the CTRS must make sur the clients take extra care when dealing with the fire during the
filtration of water exercise, for the clients can get burned.
Adaptations: Participants with Spinal Cord Injury: SCI can be split into either
paraplegia (loss of function and sensation in lower extremities) or quadriplegia (paralysis
in all 4 limbs). And due to the biological disposition that most of the clients with this
condition have, in order to avoid further cuts or bruises, it is best to use transfer mats
when moving them from the wheelchair to the ground. For our specific activities, there
are not many adaptations necessary for SCI clients, but it is important always stay
vigilant of the fire during the boiling of water process, for anyone can get easily bruised
(Beringer, 2004).
Participants with Autism: Autism is a general term for a group of complex disorders of
brain development. The disorders vary in severity, such as difficulties in social
interaction, verbal/nonverbal communication, and repetitive behavior. In order to help
simplify the activities and make them understandable for our clients with autism, it was
suggested that visual cues such as pictures and videos are very good ways fro them to
really captivate and absorb the information being given to them (Shanahan, McAllister, &
Curtin, 2009). Another tip is to continually show the clients the pictures/videos as a
reminder of the steps necessary to complete the tasks. And another good thing to
remember that clients with autism are usually very receptive to consistency. So by staying
true to the course/instructions as much as possible, this can help ensure the best results.
Adaptations References
- Beringer, A. (2004). Spinal cord injury and outdoor experiences. International Journal
of Rehabilitation Research, 27(1), 7-15
- Dattilo, J. (2000). Facilitation techniques in therapeutic recreation. Venture Publishing
Inc.
- Shanahan, L., McAllister, L., & Curtin, M. (2009). Wilderness adventure therapy and
cognitive rehabilitation: Joining forces for youth with TBI. Brain injury, 23(13-14),
1054-1064.