The use of massage and relaxation for the multihandicapped at Camp Koinonia to increase contact between camper-counselor pairs

The master's thesis, "A Counselor Training Program in Massage to Increase Contact Between Counselor-Camper Pairs at Camp Koinonia," was implemented at Camp Koinonia a week during the 1983 spring academic quarter. Camp Koinonia, organized in 1977, is sponsored by the VT Recreation Program Area. The study first involved the design of a therapeutic massage training program for the counselors to administer to their multihandicapped campers. A behavioral observation instrument was designed to record the duration and frequency of intentional physical contact between counselor-camper pairs. The rationale for the study was that the training program would encourage healthy physical interaction between each pair, ·and make it easier for the counselor to initiate the physical contact necessary for tending to the camper's physical and emotional needs (i.e., especially in instances- where the counselor must shower, toilet and feed his camper). For experimental purposes there was one control group and one treatment group, the control group consisting of 5 female counselor-camper pairs, and 4 male pairs; the treatment group consisting of 5 male pairs and 5 female pairs. (The control group is short one pair due to attrition.) The experimental group received the treatment and the control group did not. An AB experimental design was used, with a pre-, mid- and post-test observation, the treatment given 3 times during the course of the week. The results were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively and although the researcher concluded that there were no significant differences between the two groups, important trends indicated that the experimental group did more in contact from pre- to posttest measurement periods.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Department dc:contributor.department

Education

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1983

Author dc:creator

• Casali, Stelle Elaine

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/106266

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/106266