Outdoor adventure programs
offer choices to
special populations

Special Outdoor Adventure Recreation (SOAR)
brings affordable opportunities closer to home for
Chicago-area residents.

(Photo courtesy of the Maine-Niles Association of Special Recreation)

By David Espeseth

The climb is only half complete, and yet his hands and arms are stiff with fatigue. The knot in his stomach does not keep him from focusing his attention on each movement of his hands and feet.

His feet, especially, require great concentration because he cannot feel the rock ledges with them — his lower legs are artificial. Anxiety increases as his body begins to tremble with exhaustion.

Another hand hold, then afoot hold. His confidence soars, and exhilaration replaces anxiety as the rock face becomes less vertical. He realizes that he will make the top, and he thinks, "If I can do this, I can do anything."

This narrative illustrates the physical and emotional value of therapeutic outdoor adventure experiences. But, where do people with special needs find opportunities for such an experience? Most

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often the answer is by spending lots of time and money traveling to an adventure education center. Although there is access to intermittent outdoor programs (such as the infrequent winter ski trip or summer camping program), community-based therapeutic and special recreation services do not usually include a continuous, comprehensive adventure-based program.

A successful answer

The Maine-Niles Association of

Special Recreation (M-NASR) is working to fill this need in Chicago's and in the suburban areas' therapeutic and special recreation programs. The M-NASR's Special Outdoor Adventure Recreation (SOAR) offers a variety of exciting outdoor activities to appeal to individuals with diverse needs and interests.

SOAR evolved from M-NASR's commitment to innovative leisure services programming, which in the past has included such things as annual ski trips to Colorado's Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, week-long summer adventure trips, and unusual staff development outings, including high ropes courses and rock climbing.

In 1985, M-NASR installed an indoor climbing wall designed to accommodate physically challenged climbers. This unique climbing wall is one of the foundations for SOAR's development and continuing growth.

Outdoor adventure programming

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SOAR

for special populations is not a striking new revelation; it is a practiced and tested trend in therapeutic recreation. Numerous research studies have shown that adventure-based therapeutic programs can be a powerful tool for effecting personal and social changes — the rationale of many of these programs.

Well-established programs such as Outward Bound and the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center have outstanding records of positive influences on individuals with special needs. Moreover, the 1987 Illinois Park and Recreation Conference included a session on the subject of outdoor adventure for disabled populations.

However, many adventure-based therapeutic programs are independent operations located far from Chicago and the suburban areas. SOAR brings adventure opportunities closer to home at more affordable rates by integrating adventure-based programming in a community-based operation.

Adventure-based methods of programming

Goals that are common to many adventure-based programs include enhancing self-concepts, increasing capacity for achievement, and improving personal and social functioning. In the pursuit of goals, students are expected to accept perceived risks of structured challenges and to give 100 percent effort. However, between a program challenge (e.g., rock climbing) and a program goal, there is a conceptual gap. In other words, how does being terrified on a rock face improve self-esteem?

The gap is bridged through discussion, or processing. This essential adventure programming step helps a student learn to transfer experiences from the program setting to the problems of day-to-day living.

The use of metaphor is a key to successful processing (Mobley & Marlow, 1987). For example, the terror experienced on a rock face can improve self-esteem because students gain an understanding of themselves. Simply trying a perceptually impossible task uncovers latent characteristics, such as courage and perseverance, that can help them gain the confidence to overcome barriers in other phases

Illinois Parks and Recreation 22 January/February 1988

of their lives — the "rock faces" of discrimination, mobility, school, work or family.

The SOAR model

The functions of SOAR are threefold. First, SOAR is naturally oriented toward positive growth of mind, body, and spirit among both participants and leaders. Yet, the element of fun is not forfeited in the interest of serious goals attainment; childlike pleasure and growthful learning are not mutually exclusive.

Horseback riding, white water rafting, downhill and cross-country skiing, wilderness camping, canoeing, rock climbing, and challenge courses are the vehicles for problem solving, decision making, goal setting, stress management and similar objectives. A successful blend of activities, objectives and processing leads to the end goal of personal growth at various levels: selfesteem, confidence, independence, awareness, respect and so on.

Second, SOAR is working to serve persons who may be "falling through the cracks" of existing services. Individuals with special needs, who for whatever reason, do not participate in standard community-based leisure services, may often refrain from being involved in special recreation programs. Their reasons include: (1) disapproval of labeling by recreation professionals, (2) indignation at stereotyping by the public, (3) perception of programs as uninteresting or unchallenging and (4) lack of awareness of special recreation services. Therefore, if they pursue leisure interests at all, it is often on their own.

Although independent pursuit of recreational activities is good and should be encouraged, disdain of structured leisure programs may lead independent physically or mentally challenged persons to miss out on unusual and interesting opportunities. SOAR strives to attract people with diverse needs and interests by offering activities that are more exciting and challenging than most special recreation programs.

To reach and attract previously unserved individuals to SOAR, literature is distributed to a variety of facilities: rehabilitation centers, orthotic and prosthetic businesses, mental health clinics, schools, park districts, alternative programs and others.

Third, SOAR is building a comprehensive information resource center. This is a collection of information on adventure-based recreation programs throughout the world that work with individuals with special needs.

Suppose, for example, that a person who goes white water rafting with SOAR discovers an intense desire to learn white water kayaking. This person could access SOAR's information resources to find out the who, what, where, and cost of pursuing white water kayaking.

SOAR's adventure resources are also available to organizations that want information on adventure-based therapeutic recreation.

Programming challenge

SOAR is a bold venture in community-based leisure services. It offers a participant-centered structure that allows individuals to express themselves at a variety of physical, emotional and intellectual levels. Activities may be pursued in the interest of confronting fears, testing limitations, expanding awareness or simply having fun.

This article is not a report of progress or success; rather, it is intended to inspire leisure service providers to excite peoples' senses with innovative programming. The challenge is to offer the widest variety of choice to the greatest diversity of people.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David Espeseth is high adventure coordinator for the Maine-Niles Association of Special Recreation in Niles.

Adventure-based programming is a positive step in that direction, and SOAR may stimulate other organizations to make outdoor adventure opportunities more accessible to people with special needs.

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