Recreational Therapists

If you are interested in a career in recreational therapy, you can find part-time or summer work as a sports coach or referee, park supervisor, or camp counselor. Volunteer work in a nursing home, hospital, or care facility for disabled adults is also a good way to learn about the daily realities of institutional living. These types of facilities are always looking for volunteers to work with and visit patients. Working with people with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities can be stressful, and volunteer work is a good way for you to test whether you can handle this kind of stress.

Talk with a recreational therapist about his or her career. Ask your school counselor to help arrange an interview. Suggested interview questions include:

• What made you want to enter this career?
• What do you like most and least about your job?
• How did you train for this field?
• What are some key skills for success?
• What advice would you give to young people about preparing for the field and being successful on the job?
• How will advances in technology change the field?

Perhaps you could even job-shadow a recreational therapist to learn even more about the field. Watching a therapist at on the job will give you a good idea of what it's like to work with patients and see the types of equipment and technology that are used to assist patients.

Finally check out the About Recreational Therapy section (https://www.atra-online.com/about-rt) of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association's Web site to learn more about the field.