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NCHPAD - Building Healthy Inclusive Communities

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Conclusion


The inclusion of children with disabilities into school or community-based sports programs is a challenge requiring a comprehensive approach that takes into account a myriad of program considerations: family income, history of abuse or neglect, exercise contraindications, current health promotion behaviors, sport preference, community financial resources, parental involvement, the training background of coaches, and the availability of interpreters and guides. This list is by no means exhaustive. It should be stressed that even if non-physical health goals of physical activity are not achieved; exercise interventions should continue to be a part of the lives of children with disabilities. In their review of exercise programs in the treatment of children with learning disabilities, Bluechardt, Wiener and Shephard (1995) came to the conclusion that very little evidence shows that exercise improves actual motor ability and perceived motor proficiency and academic competence. Nonetheless, exercise should still be encouraged based on its ability to improve so many other factors such as cardiovascular health (Bluechardt, Wiener & Shephard, 1995). In the same review, the authors tout the merits of activities that foster "cooperative play" as opposed to the traditional model of sports play epitomized by professional sports programs (Bluechardt, Wiener & Shephard, 1995). Any physical activity program for children with disabilities must in essence target the whole family; it must be a routine that can be easily incorporated into a family's schedule and thus has a better chance of becoming a priority that continues to yield health outcomes that far outlast a season of play.

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