Recreation is an essential part of life that provides enriching experiences that may define one's life course similar to careers or other interests. An understanding of the role of volunteers in active community-based recreational programs can help to generate ways to enhance participation and contribute to additional communication opportunities with people who have complex communication needs. Nine volunteers from two adaptive ski programs and one therapeutic horseback-riding program in the Northeast region of the United States participated in semi-structured interviews. Audio-recordings were transcribed and analyzed and resulted in five thematic areas: (a) benefits, (b) why individuals volunteer, (c) barriers, (d) successful program supports, and (e) who are the riders and skiers using AAC. The findings provided insight to support the notion that active community-based recreational activities foster an environment for communication, meaningful engagement, and social relationships between volunteers and people with complex communication needs.

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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.

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Purpose: The aim of the study was to gather the perspectives and lived experiences of 10 adults who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and participate in active recreation. Active recreational participation includes individual sports such as adaptive skiing, surfing, and cycling, as well as unified team sports such as soccer, bocce, and basketball. Method: This research involved a qualitative study with two separate asynchronous online focus groups each conducted over a 6-week span. The focus groups included literate individuals who use AAC and engage in active recreational pursuits across the United States. One focus group included five individuals with acquired conditions, and the other group included five individuals with developmental disabilities. Results: Thematic analysis of the data from both focus groups revealed five primary themes with corresponding subthemes: barriers (intrinsic and extrinsic), supports (intrinsic and extrinsic), benefits (intrinsic and extrinsic), communication (methods), and recommendations for communication partners and people who use AAC. Conclusions: This study provides important information to individuals who use AAC and their communication partners about the benefits of active recreation and the supports needed to make these experiences successful. As a result of this study, speech-language pathologists, related professionals, and caregivers will gain a better understanding of how they can support recreational participation for people who use AAC with a specific focus on enhancing communication and expanding social networks. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.17701043