Using Self-Scheduling to Promote Self-Directed Leisure Activity in Home and Community Settings

Abstract

The effects of self-scheduling plus training to implement weekly schedules on the frequency, diversity, and novelty of self-directed leisure activities by three adults with moderate developmental disabilities living in the community wereexamined in this study. Self-scheduling consisted of the adults choosing desired leisure/recreational activities via picture cards, and then placing the cards in a sequenced activity book for each day of the week. Training for schedule implementation consisted ofa daily prompt to look at the picture schedule plus a nightly review of engaged activities. All participants learned to independently self-schedule their leisure activity as a result of training and maintained their performance on probes conducted between 8 weeks and 6 months after training. Self-scheduling and training schedule implementation resulted in substantial increases in the weekly frequency and diversity of selfdirected leisure activity, as well as increases in the cumulative novelty of activity. These results were also maintained long term. This study emphasizes the importance of incorporating choice and self-management in leisure education for persons with severe and moderate intellectual disabilities.

Active support: A critical review and commentary

“…The extent to which activity planning is a necessary, if insufficient, condition for increased resident engagement requires further focused research. Findings by Anderson et al (1997), Bambara and Ager (1992), and Saunders and Spradlin (1991) highlight other areas for future research, including: (a) the use of photographs and pictures to assist clients to become more directly involved in activity planning, and (b) how client choice of activities and selfdirection can be promoted in more sophisticated ways in the future.…”

The Teacch Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…Utilizing the visual strengths of individuals with ASD involves physical organization, schedules, work/activity system, and a variety of visual and organizational strategies for clarifying task requirements. As reviewed by Mesibov, Browder and Kirkland (2002), previous research has shown the effectiveness of using schedules to ease transitions (Dooley, Wilczenski, & Torem, 2001;Flannery & Horner, 1994), to increase independence in task performance (Anderson, Sherman, Sheldon, & McAdam, 1997;Pierce & Schriebman, 1994), to follow a preset work or school routine (Browder & Minarovic, 2000;Clarke, Dunlap, & Vaughn, 1999;Hall, McClannahan, & Krantz, 1995), and to increase the initiation, length, and generalization of leisure activities (Bambara & Ager, 1992;. In addition, the use of visual strategies provides predictability, thus reducing confusion and behavior problems (Clarke et aI., 1999;Dooley et aI., 2001;Flannery & Horner, 1994, Krantz et aI., 1993.…”

“…The CLLC provides opportunities for the residents to acquire new leisure skills using the schedules, work systems, and visual instructions that have been demonstrated to increase variety of leisure activities and self initiation (Bambara & Ager, 1992) and to increase response chains and the generalization ofthese skills (MacDuff et aI., 1993). In addition to individualized teaching programs designed to increase these skills, the entire CLLC program has at least one evening a week specifically devoted to teaching new leisure skills.…”

Teaching hand-washing with pictorial cues

“…Use of pictures provides a good form of assistance for people who have learning difficulties. Using pictorial cues, students with intellectual disabilities have been taught to prepare foods (Martin, Rusch, James, Decker, & Trytol, 1982), to learn child-care skills Feldman, 2004;Feldman, Ducharme, & Case, L. (1999), to function more independently in a job setting (Connis, 1979) or in leisure activities (Bambara & Ager, 1992), to initiate and maintain grooming behaviours (Thinesen & Bryan, 1981), to develop pedestrian navigations skills (Kelley, 2012) and withdraw money and purchase items using a debit card (Alberto, Cihak, & Gama, 2005). Pictorial cues have been found to be more effective than verbal cues in promoting functional activities among children with disabilities (Caffó, Albano, Damato, & Stella, 2013;West, 2008).…”