Handbook
** This document is intended to give page by page guidance on how the Leisure skills Questionnaire should be administered. Administrators should read thoroughly before beginning. **
Overview:
This questionnaire is designed to give insight into how participants currently spend their free time, whether this is decided by them or by others, and to discover new activities that participants may be interested in trying.
-The first section is the quality-of-life questionnaire which gives background into how participants feel about their current situation.
-The second section is designed to give us an understanding as to whether participants currently do each activity, how often they can do it, how satisfied they are with doing it, as well as the importance they place on doing it.
-Finally, after reviewing the ideas and choices on how they would like to spend their free time (noting the similarities and differences) a plan can be made for introducing them to the new activities and teaching them the skills to enable autonomy.
This process must be as simple as possible and giving maximum access to participants and/or their families/carers.
These questions are to verify that the participant understands how to answer using the symbols and/or words to give their answers. If the participant is unable to fully understand or respond to a question, the administrator ticks the “not sure” option. Consider all types of responses, verbal & non-verbal.
The administrator could occasionally ask participants the questions with the * sign, if he/she feels that the beneficiary hasn’t fully understood the question (it’s not necessary to note their response to the star *sign questions).
If the participant is unable to fully understand or respond to the question the administrator ticks the “not sure” option.
Consider all types of responses, verbal & non-verbal.
Please include any relevant feedback from participants as well as how you explained the questions to them.
This question is to verify that the participant understands the use of the different symbols to give their answers. If the participant is unable to fully understand or respond to the questions, the administrator leaves the box(es) blank. Consider all types of responses, verbal & non-verbal.
Before asking participants for their responses, please make sure they understand what each activity is, so that they can answer truthfully. First ask them if they know what the activity is and be ready to explain it to them and give examples whether verbally or visually. For this page you can show the other activity illustrations as prompts (using the link) as the rating is for the whole category, not just for the individual sports illustrated on this page.
If the participant answers ‘Not at all’ in the performance rating, please use the second questions in the importance and satisfaction ratings. i.e: If your participant has never tried golf, you ask them how important it would be for them to try and how interested they are in trying.
The questions on this page are about participation in these activities – not as audience members.
If the participant answers ‘Not at all’ in the performance rating, please use the second questions in the importance and satisfaction ratings. i.e: If your participant has never been to the theatre, you ask them how important it would be for them to go and how interested they are in going.
The questions on this page are about active participation in these activities, not only watching them.
If the participant answers ‘Not at all’ in the performance rating, please use the second questions in the importance and satisfaction ratings. i.e: If your participant has never been swimming, you ask them how important it would be for them to try and how interested they are in trying.
If the participant answers ‘Not at all’ in the performance rating, please use the second questions in the importance and satisfaction ratings. i.e: If your participant has never attended a sports event, you ask them how important it would be for them to go and how interested they are in going.
If the participant answers ‘Not at all’ in the performance rating, please use the second questions in the importance and satisfaction ratings. i.e: If your participant has never been sightseeing, you ask them how important it would be for them to go and how interested they are in going.
If the participant answers ‘Not at all’ in the performance rating, please use the second questions in the importance and satisfaction ratings. i.e: If your participant doesn’t visit friends and family, you ask them how important it would be for them to do this and how interested they are in doing it.
If the participant answers ‘Not at all’ in the performance rating, please use the second questions in the importance and satisfaction ratings. i.e: If your participant has never attended a party, you ask them how important it would be for them to go to a party and how interested they are in doing so.
If the participant answers ‘Not at all’ in the performance rating, please use the second questions in the importance and satisfaction ratings. i.e: If your participant has never attended a group function, you ask them how important it would be for them to go to a function and how interested they are in going.
If the participant answers ‘Not at all’ in the performance rating, please use the second questions in the importance and satisfaction ratings. i.e: If your participant has never read a book, you ask them how important it would be for them to read a book and how interested they are in doing so.
If the participant answers ‘Not at all’ in the performance rating, please use the second questions in the importance and satisfaction ratings. i.e: If your participant has never tried cooking, you ask them how important it would be for them to be able to cook for themselves and how interested they are in trying.
It would be helpful if you could include here anything you found out about participants’ current activities that you didn’t know before – for example, a participant who enjoys many leisure activities (especially if they are not included in this questionnaire) or a participant who doesn’t do anything in their free time but watch television. Please note any links between their current level of free time activities and any behavioural issues.
If you feel you need any further clarification, please contact one of the project partners through our dedicated project website: https://leisureskillsproject.eu/
These last four pages are illustrated examples of different types of sports within the four categories we are collecting data on. They are to be used only as prompts to help participants understand the categorisation for questions one, two, three and four. Participants may already take part in, or know about, other sports activities. When answering the questions about sports activities on page 6, they can be about ANY outdoor, individual, racket or team sports activity.
These particular sports have been chosen as they are sporting events that people with mental disabilities can compete in at the special Olympics.
