Recreational Therapists
Official O*NET title: Recreational Therapists (29-1125.00)
Also called: activities coordinator, certified therapeutic recreation specialist, general activities therapist, recreation therapist, recreational therapist
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Develop treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests, and objectives of therapy
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing recreational therapists work
3 of 11 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Amber (some AI use) — 27%.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Develop treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests, and objectives of therapy (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Counsel and encourage patients to develop leisure activities (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Observe, analyze, and record patients' participation, reactions, and progress during treatment sessions, modifying treatment programs as needed (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Instruct patient in activities and techniques (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Conduct therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Plan, organize, direct, and participate in treatment programs and activities to help with patients' rehabilitation, help them integrate into the community, and prevent further medical problems (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Obtain information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients, themselves, to assess patients' capabilities, needs and interests (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Talk with members of treatment team to plan and evaluate therapy programs (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Encourage clients with special needs and circumstances to acquire new skills and get involved in health-promoting leisure activities (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Prepare and submit reports and charts to treatment team to reflect patients' reactions and evidence of progress or regression (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Develop discharge plans for patients (main task) — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Counsel and encourage patients to develop leisure activities”. Try the prompt for: “Instruct patient in activities and techniques”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and recreational therapists
Will AI replace recreational therapists?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 3 of the 11 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Amber rating (some AI use). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 8 of the 11 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which recreational therapist tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: develop treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests, and objectives of therapy; counsel and encourage patients to develop leisure activities; observe, analyze, and record patients' participation, reactions, and progress during treatment sessions, modifying treatment programs as needed.
Which recreational therapist tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: instruct patient in activities and techniques; conduct therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being; plan, organize, direct, and participate in treatment programs and activities to help with patients' rehabilitation, help them integrate into the community, and prevent further medical problems. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 18% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a recreational therapist start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
Recreational Therapists ranks #297 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #30 of 80 in Healthcare.
Related jobs
- Will AI change healthcare managers?
- Will AI change chiropractors?
- Will AI change dentists?
- Will AI change oral surgeons?
- Will AI change orthodontists?
- Will AI change prosthodontists?
- Will AI change occupational therapy assistants?
- Will AI change occupational therapists?
- Will AI change physical therapist assistants?
- Will AI change occupational therapy aides?
- See all jobs