Supporting Communication Partners in a Leisure Setting to Enhance Social Interaction and Participation for Individuals with Complex Communication Needs

Benefits from leisure and recreation Participation in recreational activities can have extensive benefits for children and adults with disabilities and complex communication needs (CCN) [1-4]. The infrastructure in recreation and leisure programs supports people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to develop relationships, increase engagement, and foster independence [2]. Opportunities for meaningful interactions are important for individuals with significant communication disabilities as they often report higher levels of loneliness and their social networks are more limited [5]. Patterson & Pegg [4] determined that serious engagement in leisure activities provides people with intellectual disabilities the necessary confidence to communicate and teaches new skills that build self-esteem and facilitate social inclusion across community settings. Communication partners are critical supports for individuals with complex communication needs who participate in leisure activities. Partners (e.g., volunteers, program leaders, support staff) can enhance recreational experiences by facilitating opportunities for communication, interaction, and participation. In this study, a single subject multiple baseline design across two time periods was used to examine the accuracy of volunteers’ in their ability to implement a program designed to promote communication and participation. Four volunteers from therapeutic riding learned to apply a communication program that focused on providing participants with a method to capture and share their riding experience. Results indicated that the volunteers successfully learned the program and that riders increased the amount of communication turns taken with volunteers. Volunteers, participants, and caregivers also shared their overall perspectives after program implementation. Implications and recommendations for future practice are provided for volunteers, participants and caregivers, recreational therapists, and other related professionals.