Determinants of Participation in Sport and Physical Activity for Students with Disabilities According to Teachers and School-based Practitioners Specialized in Recreational and Competitive Physical Activity

Abstract

Because youth with disabilities participate less in physical activity than young people without disabilities and that schools play an important role in adopting a healthy lifestyle, it is important to deepen our understanding of the elements that foster participation of young people with disabilities in physical activity. The objective of this research is twofold: 1) establish the determinants of participation of youth with disabilities in physical education according to practitioners and 2) document the effects of an initiation and competition program for youth with disabilities on their physical activity. The collection of data using semi-structured interviews was conducted in two phases. The first, among teachers and school-based practitioners (n = 18), aimed to understand their experiences relating to the adoption of healthy lifestyles among their students with disabilities. As for the second, practitioners (n = 12) were interviewed during organized adapted sporting events. Analysis of the interviews shows two categories of determinants, namely determinants relating to school (winning conditions of the environment, the importance of extracurricular activities, and obstacles) as well as determinants relating to the professional competence of teachers (the role of teachers, collaboration between professionals, the benefits of sport and physical activity and obstacles encountered).Keywords: adapted physical education, youth with disability, schools, physical educators Sport Science Review, vol. XXV, no. 3-4, 2016, 135 -158 DOI: 10.1515/ssr-2016 IntroductionPhysical inactivity affects the whole population, including young people. Indeed, in Canada, only 7% of young people between the ages of 10 and 16 meet the minimum daily requirements of 60 minutes of physical activity (Active Healthy Kids Canada, 2012). This trend is even more prevalent among young people with disabilities (Badia, Orgaz, Verdugo & Ullan, 2013;Buttimer and Tierney, 2005; Shikado-Thomas, Majnemer, Law & Lach, 2008). Young people with disabilities are less active than young people without disabilities (Pittet, Berchtold, Akré, Michaud & Suris, 2009;Solish, Perry & Minnes, 2010).According to Anderson and Heyne (2010), adopting a healthy lifestyle is a greater challenge for young people with disabilities. A more sedentary lifestyle among these young people partially explains this problem (Abeysekara, Turchi & O'Neil, 2014). Similarly, a low family income hinders access to recreational activities and as a result, the adoption of a healthy lifestyle (Bedell et al., 2013). Youth with disabilities incur greater risks of developing health problems such as obesity and chronic diseases including hypertension and diabetes (Anderson & Heyne, 2010;Riley, Rimmer, Schiller & Wang, 2008;Rimmer, Rowland, Yamaki, 2007). In fact, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is two to three times higher among those with disabilities than other young people (Badia, Orgaz, Verdugo & Ullan, 2013). Leisure participation has many benefits for people with disabilities...

Inclusion and SEN coaching: how accelerated learning and ‘workplace’ immersion can help develop core sport coaching skills

“…Certainly, in the case of supporting emerging coaches who operate more within the participation context. Nonetheless, there is an existing body of work related to disability coaching within the areas of performance sport (White and Duda, , Townsend et al ., ), carers (Melville, Hamilton, Miller, Boyle, Robinson, Pert, and Hankey, ) and teachers (Belley‐Ranger, Carbonneau, Roult, Brunet, Duquette, and Nauroy, ). Broadly then, whilst it is possible to define coaching and SEN and disability sports coaching, there is a gap in the literature and practice pertaining to how we can develop emerging sports coaches through the context of SEN and disability participation sport.…”

Untitled

“…Indeed, as the educational institutions play an important role in affirming the values of health and healthy lifestyles for the young people, the scientists consider that it is important to expand the existing knowledge about the necessary structural elements of the education system that promotes the active participation of the young people with disabilities in daily PA (Belley-Ranger, et al, 2016). According to S. Adyrkhaev, the PA and physical strengthening will be one of the most important components of successful social and psychological adaptation of the students with disabilities to the environment of a higher educational institution (Adyrkhaev, 2016).…”