Why children with Disabilities Should Participate in Sports and REcreation
Guest post by Justin Bennet, reviewed by Jennifer Koslo, PhD, RDN, LDN, CPT
Having a child with a disability requires a lot of extra planning. Perhaps you’ve already made the necessary home modifications or moved to be closer to the best school district and resources. You’ve likely already found a doctor or specialist that meets all your needs and expectations, and ideally, you’ve reached out to Koslo’s Nutrition Services to help every member of your family eat a nutrient-dense diet that’s critical to optimal health.
But have you considered your child’s physical activity? Although your child may have restrictions due to their mental or physical ability, participation in sports and recreational activities is important for their overall health and wellbeing.
Benefits of Participation
All children need physical activity, but the participation of children with disabilities in sports and recreational activities encourages inclusion, reduces deconditioning, and raises physical functioning. According to Disabled World, participation is defined as “the nature and extent of a person's involvement in life situations” and includes activities of mobility, socialization, personal maintenance, community life, and recreation. Some of the physical, mental, and social benefits of physical activity are:
Experience a sense of accomplishment and personal satisfaction
Boost to self-esteem
Improve muscle strength, coordination, motor skills, and body awareness
Experience increased attention span and correct responses to social situations
Lower health risks such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes
Provide an outlet for pent up energy
Coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, and depression
Although children with disabilities tend to be a little more restricted as to their degree of participation, it is still vital, as it gives them opportunities to make friends, get exercise, discover themselves, and find meaning and purpose in life. Even for children with mobility issues, some sort of activity is crucial in order to reduce muscle loss and maintain flexibility. Speak with your child’s pediatrician to ensure the activities chosen are appropriate. The proper activity will target endurance, flexibility, safety, muscular strength, and most importantly, fun.
It’s the Law
The benefits of participation are apparent, but did you know that schools are required to offer equal opportunity in sports to all children with disabilities? According to former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, in 2013 all school districts received a 13-page guidance document that clearly spells out the legal rights of students with disabilities to take part in school athletics. Schools may not exclude any student from trying out or playing on a team, and must provide reasonable accommodations and modifications to allow students with disabilities the chance to play.
Does this mean your child is limited to school sports and activities only? Absolutely not. Many cities and towns offer adaptive recreation classes and sports such as basketball, baseball, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, dance, and yoga to name a few. It’s simply a matter of reaching out and asking what services they offer. If they can’t accommodate your child, they may know someone who can. Even if your child isn’t interested in sports, there are other ways to get them moving such as photography, bird watching, gardening, playing with a four-legged friend, or simply playing in the backyard.
Whatever they decide to try, make sure they don’t wear themselves out. Anti-inflammatory foods can help those whose physical disabilities cause achy joints, but you don’t want them to be turned off by physical activity due to overexertion.
How Do I Choose the Right Activity?
The key factor in choosing the appropriate activity for your child is that it should be enjoyable. The biggest reason children choose to play sports or other recreational activities is because it is fun. Likewise, the most common reason they quit is because it isn’t fun. In addition, the biggest takeaway for any child should be a feeling of acceptance, accomplishment, and growth. Once an activity is chosen, you and your child need to come up with goals and outcomes you want to achieve from participating in the activity.
For example, if the chosen activity is dance, some of the goals might be to make two new friends or learn three new dance moves. Perhaps your child struggles with poor attention, limited body awareness, or difficulty being in situations that are over-stimulating. The goal could be as simple as seeing improvement. Dance can be modified to suit both physical and mental disabilities, so look for dance programs that have a verbal commitment to every student that attends their classes.
Talk with your child and your child’s pediatrician to find the safest sports and recreational activities for your child. There are plenty of opportunities out there, just don’t forget the most important ingredient – fun!
Justin Bennett