This work was supported by a grant from Shalem Fund.

Between 2017-2019, thirty-eight individuals with moderate Intellectual Disabilities, (ID) residing in community apartments, participated in a study to improve leisure participation. While an important area of function and tool for supporting community inclusion, few studies have examined the efficacy of interventions to improve leisure participation of this population. We compared two intervention programs, Leisure Participation through Education (LPE) and Leisure Participation through Adaptation (LPA). Both emphasized the interplay between the environment, the individual and the activity, with an emphasis on modifications to the temporal and physical contexts. We found that both programs resulted in significant improvement in leisure participation, as measured through areas such as initiation, choice and social interaction. However, it would appear that the direct instruction (LPE) had an added benefit as the participants in this program retained higher scores throughout the study. Additionally, the participants were able to acquire, maintain and employ new leisure skills for up to a month after the program suggesting long term maintenance.

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