Girls with learning disabilities and ‘football on the brain’

How sports clubs include children and adolescents with disabilities in their activities. A systematic search of peer-reviewed articles

“…The system of segregated sports clubs, i.e. having distinct sports organizations for people with disabilities, may have led to broader segregation (Stride and Fitzgerald, 2011). Hassan and colleagues (2012) conclude that positive integration of people with ID will lead to actual inclusion.…”

“…Access to recreational, leisure and sporting activities in both inclusive and disability-specific settings is preferable (Rimmer and Marques, 2012). Stride and Fitzgerald (2011) raise the long-term issue of what happens after the short period of training together in a timelimited intervention. This is an issue to reflect on; it must be possible for sports to be an everyday activity for young people with or without disabilities, not just short-term interventions that receive funding for different reasons.…”

“…Baran et al, 2009;Siperstein et al, 2009) also describe the aim of their summer recreational programme, inspired by unified sports, as being to use sports as a platform for cooperatively structured activities where all children can participate and contribute equally. Both Stride andFitzgerald (2011) andHaycock andSmith (2011), in papers from the UK, describe extra-curricular physical education (ECPE). ECPE programmes are not legally required to include pupils with disabilities, however they are expected to work to enhance the involvement of all pupils (Haycock and Smith, 2011).…”

“…ECPE programmes are not legally required to include pupils with disabilities, however they are expected to work to enhance the involvement of all pupils (Haycock and Smith, 2011). Stride and Fitzgerald (2011), on the other hand, describe a specific intervention conducted as a collaboration between the UK Football Association and the schools, with the aim of promoting participation by disabled girls. Two of the papers concern single case studies (Bernabe and Block, 1994;Nixon Ii, 1989).…”

“…Two articles concerned modifying rules or adapting activities in relation to a single participating child (Bernabe and Block, 1994;Nixon Ii, 1989). Two analyse how to organize extra-curricular or after-school activities for all students (Haycock and Smith, 2011;Stride and Fitzgerald, 2011) and three report on specific programmes or events (Fenning et al, 2000;Obrusnikova et al, 2012;Stanish and Temple, 2012). Following the empowerment model, the articles can be analysed according to the three subthemes: training, support and programme design (Block et al, 2013 …”