LEI4724 Activity Portfolio #6

Ashley Font

Facilitation Technique Category: Moral Development Discussions

Activity Title: What Would You Do
Source: Dattilo, J., & McKenney, A. (2016). Facilitation Techniques in Therapeutic Recreation
(3rd ed.). Venture Publishing (PA).
Equipment: Ball, chairs
Activity Description: Moral development discussions give an opportunity to challenge
participants to observe the way they think morally when it comes to certain situations. The
purpose of this activity is to exercise moral thinking and how to make a conscious decision. First,
introduce the activity. The activity will consist of 3-5 participants. Instruct the participants to 1)
Introduce themselves to one another as they sit in a circle, 2) Explain the ball serves as the
speaking stick, whoever is holding the ball is the only one who can talk regarding the issue, 3)
The instructor will tell a dilemma, for example, John saw three other children bullying Sarah
and making her cry, at the same time there was a teacher walking their way and the boys ran, the
teacher had asked Sarah what was wrong, but she couldnt talk over her tears, so the teacher
questioned John what do you think John should do next? 4) Participants will pass the ball
around and each describes how they would act upon the situation. Each participant will discuss
how he or she would react with moral reasoning. Finish the session with discussing participants
answers and the benefits of moral development.
Leadership Considerations: CTRS functions as the instructor and partake in the session with
participants. It is necessary for the therapist to be well aware of Kohlbergs model of moral
development. Depending on the disabilities of the participants the therapist should form specific
dilemmas according to their dissatisfaction with understandings of what is good. Before starting
the activity, therapist must give instructions and state the purpose of the ball. Rules on respect
and honesty must be discussed. During the activity the therapist must be well informed of all
participants behavior to prevent any altercations, anger or risks. Therapist may give his or her
own moral reasoning, if necessary.
Adaptations:
Participants with Eating Disorders: Participants who suffer from an eating disorder have
irregular eating habits and severe distress or concern regarding their body weight or shape.
Eating disorders result from psychological and/or environmental abnormalities (Tepper, 2012).
To ensure a successful moral development session the therapist should select dilemmas that cater
to symptoms of those with eating disorders. For example, Katie was talking with her friends and
continuously belittling herself and bashing her self-image to her girlfriends, Alex and Christina.
If you were Alex and Christina what would you tell her to help seek positive affirmation of
herself. The therapist should encourage and discuss the importance of positive self imagine at
the end of the activity.
Participants with Intermittent Explosive Disorder: IED is associated with sudden episodes of
impulsive aggression, or violent behavior that is irrelevant regarding the situation (Staff, 2015).
Therapist is to keep a careful watch on those participants in the What Would You Do activity.

LEI4724 Activity Portfolio #6

Ashley Font

To ensure a safe and successful session the ball should be eliminated for caution procedures and
replaced with raising their hands. Identifying which situations may trigger an aggressive
behavior can help choose what kind of scenario is discussed during the session.
Adaptation References:
Tepper, Kim. (2012, May 4). About an eating disorder: Symptoms, signs, causes & articles for
treatment help. Retrieved October 15, 2016, from
https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/eating-disorder
Staff, M. C. (2015). Intermittent explosive disorder causes. Mayoclinic. Retrieved from
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/intermittent-explosivedisorder/basics/causes/con-20024309