COACHING GUIDE Coaching Special Needs Athletes
Inclusion/Integration in SportShould we have integrated or segregated sports sessions for young people with disabilities.What do we mean by Inclusion?Integration between mainstream and disabled young people?Integration between different disabilities?Making a society for ALL?Being a governing body sports coach for the past 25 years involved in running integrated sports sessions in Judo/Powerlifting /Football, I have found integration more beneficial and educationally correct than segregation for all participants involved.How I became involved was due to a down syndrome young girl wanting to participate in a mainstream Judo Club Session.Having no knowledge of disabilities but thinking that disabled young people have a Right to Participate with the same choices has others, whether in a class of their peers or an integrated sessionThere are advantages and disadvantages in INCLUSION. But in my opinion the advantages out weigh the disadvantages.Over the years especially in the sport of Judo we have made giant strides in enabling young people with disabilities to participate in mainstream Judo clubs and sessions.We now have a programme with the governing bodies of judo throughout the UK. Which includes a National Commission for Inclusion and structures in place for the training and education of coaches and officials Nationally in coaching ways and the coaching needs and promotion systems of young athletes with Disabilities.COACHING YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIESThrough Experience and having no knowledge of disabilities at the beginning of my coaching career, I have now passed on my experiences, good and bad, to many others in the judo world.It is my belief that disabled people of all disabilities can be coached to have an involvement in the sport of judo. Whether it is of a competitive - demonstrative or educational event. This can also be applied to other areas of our sport, like refereeing and table officials.Most disabled judoka involved in our sport at present have what is termed as a learning disability/mental handicap or mental retardation. The coaching of these athletes is very similar to coaching at mainstream level, with the only difference being, you might have to give your instructions many times before it is understood and digested. You might have to adjust your coaching techniques to suit this individual, buy adapting a simplified form of learning. Basically these athletes at the higher level or the sport can and are able to participate in club sessions with mainstream judoka.These would be the most prominent competitive judoka.Again in this category we will come across judoka with a mental disability perhaps combined with a behavioural disability or physical disability. These athletes need more care and attention. It has been found through experience the athletes with a behavioural problem react to judo in a disciplined way due to it being a contact and aggressive sport. With the discipline involved in the sport it makes it easier to correct the individual. It is advisable at first with the disability to keep them in an individual specific special needs group session.This judoka I would put in the demonstrative category, perhaps kata events.The athletes with a mental and physical disability will now test your coaching mind. You will find the main reason for this will be the physical disability causing a balance difficulty for the athlete so your adaptation of techniques and skills will be very important for this athlete. Some of these athletes will be in the competitive event and others in the demonstrative event.Our visually impaired and hearing impaired judoka are able to participate in mainstream sessions and would come under the competitive level. But help is needed at these sessions with partners for the visually impaired. For the hearing impaired your skills of communication are most important, especially your presence and position on the tatami, when facing and giving instructions. These judoka are of sound mind and can digest information and instructions quite easily.Our next largest percentage of judoka participating would be those with a physical disability, mainly cerebral palsy, which normally affects the lower limbs in our competitors already participating. These are mainly of sound mind and can absorb instructions quite quickly. These athletes that can participate standing could be in the competitive and demonstrative events. Coaching these athletes needs your coaching ability to select/adapt and formulate judo throwing techniques which will enable them to participate in a standing event without losing their balance, counter techniques are sometimes more adaptable to these athletes.Below these we have beginners and perhaps those with one or more disabilities, who only want to participate for fun and enjoyment. These might be athletes who are very weak or those that can only start in the newaza situation. We do hold competitor events in national federations for the more experienced and knowledgeable athletes.This group could be classed in the demonstrative event but most of the weaker athletes will be able to cope better in the educative events. Although if newaza contest starts were eligible in the high ranging events some of these judoka would be in the competitive level.When taking on students with disabilities into your local club sessions, firstly find out from the parents or carers some background information on the disability and ailments and temperament, especially if they have epileptic seizures. What medication do they take?It would be knowledgeable for all coaches to attend a Disability Awareness Course prior to teaching athletes with special needs. It is always advisable to gain a little knowledge prior to taking on new students. Coaching judo is the easy part for coaches, adapting techniques and the repetitions of coaching these will be the task.For the weaker or less able students a special needs class amongst their peer group is essential and proves less aggressive.As coaches we are there to teach a sport, teaching moves or exercises specifically for therapy, or to help actions of bodily movements, just for therapeutic reasons is not why we are involved, there must be a willing contribution from the athlete to participate.Use coaching aids for technique, doing things by numbers is easier for an athlete to absorb, put fun and games into sessions. This way you will find the athlete absorbs things quicker this way.If you have students in your sessions who can only do newaza, take a class warm up from the ground, but if you have a mixed ability class/session do not get embarrassed by teaching techniques some in your session cannot do, they welcome a rest like all others. People with disabilities are quite aware that some exercises they cannot perform but quite understand this situation. Your more able students and higher grades will be more than willing to have a short rest coaching a disabled athlete. Every person has a right to participate but the coach must be willing and confident in coaching people who have disabilities.Start small with a special needs mixed disability session, or restrict it to a certain individual disability session. Make sure you have help and if it is a mixed gender class, ensure you have male and female helpers. The first couple of sessions you will find it very demanding, treat the athletes like you would treat other athletes in your classes, some athletes learning age is of a lower age than what they are, but discipline is very important, they understand discipline and it helps others in the session. A good system to ensure your sessions are controlled in the judo spirit is to have a small club award system once per month and nominate a judoka who perhaps is not the best exponent of the judo skills but has shown the true spirit of the sport of judo in the past month. Another way of doing this is to have a ladder or leader board system, which changes every week with the first position at the end of the month receiving the accolade.When accepting athletes with downs-syndrome, it is important to check with the parents/guardians or carers, that they do not have Atlanto-Axial-Instability, which is a weakness in the neck which if prominent could cause a serious injury to themselves. It is documented that approximately one in ten could have this diagnosis. There are many other prospective athletes with different disabilities. When dealing with different levels of abilities and skills, a coaches,adaptation skills, of the sports techniques are put to the test, especially for events and tournaments, but this is also the case when dealing with a mainstream session of mixed abilities/ages.It has taken a long time to implement these structures and to educate the coaches/officials /athletes and all involved in the sport that inclusion is the way forward. It should also be noted that rules also have to be adapted to ensure the safety of the athlete, especially with the young people with a more severe form of the disability. To ensure a session balance is maintained, classes should be structured on inclusion which enables the athletes to participate at similar levels and skills. Over the past 15 years we have taken part in many displays/shows and fetes and tournaments/events throughout Europe and the UK. Although these tournaments and events have been structured and organised specifically for those with disabilities, it is now common practice to run the judo events side by side and at the same time has the governing bodies mainstream tournaments.
This ensures the athletes with disablities use the same arena and have the same audience and support as others.
Although some of our students who are more able participate in mainstream events the majority at present take part in integrated club sessions but participate in events and tournaments specifically for those with disabilities.Again this is inclusion between disabilities due to athletes being assessed on skill and ability rather than the disability. ADVANTAGES OF INCLUSION
Education of each others needs and gaining understanding of each others ways and lifestiles.This enables all to be accepted and not forgotten in todays society. We all have a fault or disability of some form but labels are not put on us like others. By inclusion in sport we can educate each other and help others overcome their difficulties and through experience I know that the sport of judo has made family homelife, much more bearable and less aggressive, due to the athlete who has a aggressive behaviour releasing his/her aggression in a controlled way on the judo mat.
DISADVANTAGES OF INCLUSIONThis can be seen in many forms, but are they myths or just lack of knowledge on behalf of us all on understanding and awareness of disabilities. Disabled people are more prone to injuries ?
This we have done surveys and monitored injuries in all our judo events /activities throughout the UK and Europe and have found that we have not had any serious injuries over the past 15 years. This is a myth and one of the main reasons, why coaches /organisations are not confident in teaching people with disabilities. Being what is seen has an aggressive sport, but once understood you will see the benefits of the sport of judo.Yes, we do have injuries like any other activity, but no more than any other sport.
What about insurance for participation of disabled people?This is another problem we face, do we have to take out special insurance for people with disabilities, again in the judo world in the UK, we have overcome this by accepting everyone in our programme of JUDO for ALL and discussed rules and systems with the governing bodies insurers and been honest. Thus we now have no problems.Other disadvantages are trying to ensure every athlete is in a session of their own ability and skills. So through experience it is found to be more advantageous to run a session with different skill groups, which will give the athletes goals of working from one group to another. This is an ideal situation for judo sessions arranged in schools. The Programme in Schools
This is something we have not pursued at great length, due to the fact of integration and class sizes. With the British Schools Judo Association now running events, it is our aim in the next 5 years to pursue the sport of judo in schools. The British Judo Association has also implemented a schools programme to compliment this.
We are at present running judo sessions in schools some are specifically for special needs with a few being integrated. Some are also in school hours, but most are sessions in after school clubs. With the latter being integrated.With over 200 special needs judo players in the UK at this present time, about 80 of these are regular attendees at events and tournaments, throughout the UK and Europe. These are mainly athletes who attend local judo clubs. The remainder at present practice judo for recreation or fun or are beginners in the sport.We now have rules/guidelines and systems in place, which will enable us to progress in membership and give all the opportunity to participate.Although my main form of sport enjoyment is passing on my knowledge to all, with inclusion being my main aim. We must not forget that inclusion works in many ways, we in today’s society are trying to get away from segregation so inclusion does mean mixed gender groups and sessions, also in this country today we have to include the ethnic minorities and in the past few years the asylum seekers who have come to us for a better way of life. Yes, I do agree some cannot afford to pay for sports sessions or even taken part in events. Should we discard these? There are also many children in our society from one- parent families. We that have enjoyed or volunteered to teach sport to the young people in our local community, understand these situations and I am sure allowances are made for these young people and their families.Judo for All or Sport for All, we are one big FAMILY.More and more sports governing bodies are now forming INCLUSION Commissions, which encompasses all forms of Integration and in my belief it is the only way forward.With your help we can help more athletes, participate in the sport of judo.Please visit : Here you will find web-sites of interest to all in SN Judo in the UK and the World.
www.judo-for-the-disabled.freeservers.com For further information please contact: royjudo@ntlworld.com
British Judo Association: www.britishjudo.org.uk
Welsh Judo Association: www.welshjudo.com
Judo Scotland:www.judoscotland.com
N.Ireland Judo Association: www.nijf.com
Roy Court: Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia Judo Advisor/WJA Liaison Officer for Special Needs/ BJA 1st Dan Black Belt/BJA Senior Club Coach/ BJA Area Examiner/ Judo Technical Delegate Special Olympics World Games Ireland 2003/2007. Judo Disability Awareness Course Tutor.
Table of contents
Introduction
The majority of the judoka, practising in Great Britain at this present time (75%) have an intellectual disability. Part I: Frequently asked questions What do I need to know about the athlete with intellectual disability?What are the mental, psychological and social considerations I should be aware of?How can I train and coach athletes more positively and more successfully to improve their performance and behaviour?Is there a specific training plan I should follow for the season or can I be creative?How does an individual with intellectual disabilities learn sport skills and rules? Part II: What to expect from the athletesLearning considerationsMedical considerationsSocial considerations Part III: What to expect from yourself as a coach Help athletes select appropriate sports and levels of participationOffer a range of activities/events for all ability levelsProvide safe training and competition opportunities Conduct high quality training and competitionInvolve families’ and/ or other support groupsAssist athletes to becoming integrated into the overall community Part IV: Information and problem solvingOral expressionListening comprehensionAttention skillsSocial perceptionAccommodations for persons with physical challenges Intellectual disability and other closely related developmental disabilities Athlete behaviour characteristics and strategies to improve learning
Introduction
The most important thing to know as a coach in special needs is that your athletes are individuals, and coaching any other youth or community sports team. The skills that make successful coaches are the same whether you are coaching National Olympics teams, High schools or University teams, community sports clubs or youth teams. But we recognize that there are some situations that make special needs coaching unique (and thus more enjoyable!)
This section is designed to provide tools for recognizing coaching situations and opportunities that may be unique to the Special Needs coaching environment. At the end of this section, we have provided some tables that other coaches have found helpful in planning or adjusting practice strategies to help athletes and coaches to become more successful.
This section is divided into four parts 1. Frequently asked questions o What do I need to know about the athlete with intellectual disability?
o What are mental, psychological and social considerations I should be aware of?
o How can I train and coach athletes more positively and more successfully to improve their performance and behaviour?
o Is there a specific training plan I should follow for the season or can I be creative?
o How does an individual with intellectual disabilities learn sport skills and rules, and what can a coach do to facilitate learning (training sequence, level of instruction)?
2. What to Expect From the Athletes 3. What to Expect from yourself as the coach 4. Information and Problem Solvingo Description of common behaviour and recommended accommodationso Intellectual disability and other closely related developmental disabilitieso Athlete behaviour characteristics and strategies to improve learning Part 1: Frequently asked questions
These are some of the questions asked most frequently by coaches new to special needs What do I need to know about the athlete with intellectual disability (mental retardation)? The terms “mental retardation” means that someone learns more slowly than other people their age. That’s it! The term “intellectual disability” is gaining acceptance internationally as an alternative to the more clinical mental retardation. In Special Needs, you may hear either term. The most important thing to remember is that NO ONE wants to be known by a label Special Needs included, thus the abbreviated terms used for projects in various countries ie: In GB it is known as SN JUDO, in Holland G JUDO,in Hungary K JUDO. There is no other description or expectation other than learning slower that applies to the entire population. You can count on the fact that Special Needs athletes are people who have been identified as someone who learns slower; beyond that, they are just like everyone else, individuals with unique challenges, talents, abilities and interests. Enjoy getting to know them. What are the mental, psychological and social considerations I should be aware of? Each athlete will have completed a Medical Release form. It will note if there are any restriction on activity, medication that may affect performance or unique situations. Other than that, they are just like everyone else. The best advice we can give you, as a coach is to look beyond the disability to see the person, and then trust your instincts on the psychological and social situations. If you sense that someone is left out or feels lonely, you are probably right. Ask that person how they think things are going and if they are having fun. As noted above, if there are significant psychological or social disabilities that have been diagnosed, you will see them noted on the medical release forms. Be sure you see those forms before the athletes arrive for the first practice. How can I train and coach athletes more positively and more successfully to improve their performance and behaviour?Look below for the comments on expectations, dignity and respect. Check out the principles of coaching section of this guide for tips on effective coaching. There is also an organization specifically dedicated to developing positive coaching skills. Check it out at www.positivecoachingalliance.org Is there a specific training plan I should follow for the season or can I be creative?This depends on your local, area, state or national Special Needs program and the sport you are coaching. Some programs have established seasons and competition expectations and some sports have specific routines. How does an individual with an intellectual disability learn sport skills and rules, and what can a coach do to facilitate learning (training sequence, levels of instruction)?People with an intellectual disability learn just like everyone else. They use different strategies and strengths to help them understand. Some learn best through seeing things, others through hearing things. Some need to feel what it is like to do something before they can learn it. The only difference with Special Needs athletes is that they will most likely be slower to learn it than their peers. Repetition is a proven strategy for learning that is effective with everyone. It can also be effective with Special Needs athletes. Another strategy is to “tell them, slow them, help them and remind them.” Bottom line: No one strategy works for everyone. Be creative and have fun. That is the best environment for learning to happen. Check out the principles of coaching section of this guide for more information on leaving styles and effective strategies. There are also some quick reference guides in this section to help you. Part II: What to Expect From the Athletes Learning consideration (Motivation: Perception; Comprehension; Memory) Motivation: We all learn faster when we want to. It is important to help athletes (this would be any athlete, not just the Special Needs athletes) See how much fun they will have once they master what you are teaching. A factor that may affect motivation includes the athletes’ reasons for coming to practice. Is it because they asked to be there? Did someone else sign them up? Do you feel comfortable that they know this sport? Or is it a new experience for them? While it may be helpful to know the answer to all those questions, your task as a coach remains the same: No matter what the motivation was for coming to the first practice, make the reason for coming to the second practice the fun and sense of success they felt at the first one. Medical considerations (Down Syndrome; Medications; Seizures; Physical Disabilities; Fatal Alcohol Syndrome)All of these terms are defined in the table at the end of this section titled Intellectual Disability and other related developmental disabilities. The most important things to remember regarding these issues are safety, dignity and expectations. o Safety is dealt with by talking to parents, guardians and athletes themselves about what you should be aware of. You are not expected to be a physician, just use common sense. Be sure to read the required Special Needs medical release form so you will know if there are restrictions on activity. o Dignity is an easy thing to deny or to give. The best thing gauge of ability comes from talking to your athletes about what they like, how they feel during a workout or what they want to accomplish in this sport. When you talk to athletes, labels like Down syndrome, FAS, or “seizure prone” become less necessary. o Expectations come from many sources. You will set expectations for your athletes. They will set them for themselves. Their families may have expectations about what they can or cannot do. As a coach, you need to set expectations that will challenge and push your athletes, then design workouts to help them meet those expectations. Be aware of restrictions that are noted on the Medical Release Form, but don’t let them define the athlete. Social Considerations (Social Skills; Physical Recreation at home; Economic status)All of these issues and their challenges are part of any athlete’s reality, including a Special Needs athlete. Where there are challenges in social skills, fitness, economic status or nutrition habits at home, you simply adjust the tools you use to help athletes meet expectations. Part III: What To Expect From Yourself As The Coach The role of the Special Needs coach is much the same as any other volunteer coach in the community. There is an expectation that the coach will know something about the sport and how to teach it. This expectation varies with the skill level of the athletes and the environments in which the coaching takes place. If you have attended a Special Needs coach’s certification workshop, you will have the basics. If you haven’t been to one go. There are a few aspects of Special Needs coaching that are unique to the program. As Special Needs coach, there is an expectation that you will: Offer a range of activities/events for all ability levelsWhen most people think of coaching Special Need athletes, they assume that will have the same, lower ability level. This is not usually the case. The average Special Needs team will include athletes who have very limited exposure to a sport and athletes who have been playing for years, perhaps even in integrated sports programs in the community. Setting up practices will be much easier once you know the ability of each athlete. Then you can build workouts to meet everyone’s needs.Examples of dealing with different ability levelsAsk more experienced athletes to help teach skills to new athletes.Split the athletes into two groups; an independent group and one that you work more closely with. Set up stations at practice, but set individual goals depending on the skills of each athlete (for example, uchi-komi drill where a number of athletes simply go through the course, others do it for time, while still others do it with specific techniques for time, etc.)Provide safe training and competition opportunitiesThere is no different from any other coaching situation, but it is important to always remember. This population is more than twice as likely as their peers to experience abuse (physical, sexual or emotional). Keeping a protective eye out for signs of abuse or potential for becoming a victim is a sign of a good coach. Special needs provide protective behaviours training for coaches, volunteers and athletes. If you have not seen these materials, request them from your local or area organisation.Conduct High Quality Training and Competition Another misconception is that because this is Special Needs, the expectation of quality is less. This is not true. We intend for Special Needs athletes to experience the highest quality training and competition possible. To achieve this, we continually revamp training workshops and materials to support our volunteers and coaches. Special Needs strives to be a resource to every community, both in the programs we offer to people with intellectual disabilities and in the sport training resources available to our volunteers and coaches. Involve families and/or other support groupsAnything worth doing is worth getting help in doing. Families come to Special Needs Judo Sessions with a wide range of expectations and interests. Some look to special needs as a respite opportunity. Others would like to only be involved by coming to the competitions and cheering. Still others seek more active roles as assistants or coaches themselves. All of these are acceptable and a part of the “team experience”. The more effectively you find ways to include families in the team experience, the easier the season will become. Families are like athletes; each is unique. You shouldn’t try to make assumptions about their potential for support based on anything but personal experience with each
Assist athletes to becoming integrated into the overall community While some athletes will already be active in many aspects of their communities, others may turn to Special Needs Judo to provide a safe place to learn sports and social skills that will assist them in more inclusive settings. You won’t have to work hard at this part of your coaching experience.
It frequently just happens, or happens with family support. As a cautionary note: not every athlete sees community integration as a desirable goal. Some athletes view Special Needs Sessions as their “safe place,” where they don’t have the same concerns about “being different” as they have in some integrated settings. Other athletes enjoy the freedom of going back and forth between communities or school sports programs because they have different friends or goals in each group. Still others see Special Needs as a place to learn skills so they can make the leap to integrated sports programs. Regardless of the goals, you will want to honour the athletes’ goals first!
Ways to support athletes in attaining their goals related to integration: Help them register for community sports competition during your season.
Talk with them about what their goals are and how you might help.
Set up Unified sports experiences to determine if that might be a logical next step.
Part IV: Information and problem solving Description of common behaviours and recommended Accommodations
Oral Expression | They May | Remedies |
Speak only in single word statement or phrases | If you understand what they mean- great! If you do not understand, ask them to say it differently |
Exhibit word retrieval problems and substitute words for words they are having trouble retrieving | o Help them calm down and relax so they can find the words they want o Come up with “signs” for common requests or concerns |
Exhibit bizarre patterns of language usage | o It may be bizarre to you but make perfect sense to the athlete. o Explain that you are having trouble understanding what they mean. Get a conversation going- the give and take should make their intent more clear. |
Imitate or repeat words incorrectly | o The accommodation is only necessary if you do not understand o If that is the case, ask them to pick a different word to tell you what they mean. |
Use gestures as a substitute for a word | Learn what the signs or gestures mean |
Have difficulty relating ideas in sequence | Break down sequences into steps and learn them individually; then put them together after the steps have been mastered |
Have difficulty making self understood to peers | If one person does not understand, ask others if they understand and would be willing to help “translate” |
Contributes to discussion with off-task comments | o Again, it may seem “off task” to you but very on task to the athlete. o Ask them how their comment fits the discussion. They will explain it, give insight into their thinking or realize that they were off the topic. |
Confuse words | o Help them use the correct term. o Be patient; give them an opportunity to formalize ideas. |
Listening Comprehension | They May | Remedies |
Ask that questions be repeated | Repeat them. If it starts to take too much time, pair the athlete with another athlete who can provide modelling. |
Often say “what,” or “huh,” etc | o Check for hearing issues o Switch from verbal instructions to visual demonstration of the task. |
Confuse the meaning of similar sounding words | Explain the difference between the words and try visual techniques instead of auditory. |
Fail to follow verbal directions | o Have them repeat directions back to you to verify understanding o If failure to follow directions creates distractions for other athletes, have the athlete sit out or work with an assistant coach until you can determine the reason for not following original directions. |
Do the opposite of the given instructions | o Have them repeat directions back to you to verify understanding o If failure to follow directions creates distractions for other athletes, have the athlete sit out or work with an assistant coach until you can determine the reason for not following original directions. o Make sure you are stating the direction as a “positive” statement, such as “dribble all the way to the basket and shoot a lay up,” as opposed to, never dribble all the way to the basket and then not shoot a lay-up!” |
Have difficulty locating the direction of sound | o Switch to visual cues o Set up a physical reaction to the sound no matter where it comes from. For example, “when you hear my whistle, stop and look at the sideline.” |
Answer questions inappropriately | Establish that they understood the question by restating the question with their answer and then asking if that was what they meant to say. |
Confuse time concepts (before/after) | Switch to physical (kinaesthetic) mode so that the end of one action leads to the next and will “feel” right. Like what is supposed to happen next. |
Confused directions words (front/back) | Instead of saying, “Go to the top of the key,” say, “Come and stand right here,” so they have a visual and physical way to remember. |
Listening comprehensions, continued
| They May | Remedies |
| Ask irrelevant questions | Make sure you understood the questions, or what they were really asking. You may not understand at first, so ask them to help you understand the question |
| Show increased difficulty in any of the above areas when noise increase | Make a rule that it must be quiet when you are talking, and explain that it is because some athletes wont be able to understand if it is noisy. “Let’s all help each other have the best chance to learn this skill!” |
Attention skills
They May | Remedies |
| Fail to finish | Provide reward via praise or the right to move on once a task is completed |
| Seem easily distracted | - Keep them busy using a variety of short tasks
- Be quick with praise and give it often
|
| Appear not to listen | Touch them on the shoulder and ask if they understand what to do. |
| Have difficulty concentrating on tasks requiring sustained attention | - Break skills down in smaller tasks, and
- Keep instruction time limited so they move more quickly from one activity to the next
- Teach as you do it with them
|
| Appear to act before thinking (impulse control issues) | - Pair them with another athlete who can act as a screener for the impulse.
- Deep breaths help them slow down to focus and help you calm down as well!
|
| Shift excessively from one activity to another | - Set up rewards foe mastering a skill before moving on.
- Ask them to teach the skill to another athlete who is having trouble. This keeps them focused on someone else’s action and not on their desire to move on.
|
| Have difficulty awaiting turns in games | Outline the schedule so they understand expectations. |
Attention skills, continued
| They May | Remedies |
| Excessively run about to climb on things | Help organize activities/limits materials if feasible |
| Have difficulty staying seated | - There should not be a lot of sitting during a sports practice
- Have activities set up so that the minute they arrive they have something to start on.
|
Social perception | They May | Remedies |
| Make inappropriate comments | Depends on the nature of the comments. If it is disruptive or makes other athletes uncomfortable, have them sit out or move to work with an assistant until you can explain that it is hurting their teammates. |
| Make inappropriate use of personal space | - Do a warm up drill that establishes an arm’s length; talk about giving everyone space
- Have partners shake hands and remind everyone that handshake distance is usually best for talking. Any closer and people get nervous and can’t focus on what you are saying.
|
| How difficulty anticipating behaviour in others | Repetition via drills will help in learning patterns of actions |
| Have difficulty in changing behaviour | Reward and praise positive behaviour and changes. Notice and comment on improvements no matter how slight. |
| Appear to be inflexible | Make every action a choice. Say, “do you want to join the group over here or do you want to join the group over there?” Try avoid “or else” comments |
| Difficulty responding to non-verbal cues, hand gestures, facial expressions | Experiment with different cues and have them decide which ones work best for them. |
Accommodations for persons with physical challenges
- Adapt rules- always clarify to the entire group
- Invite them to be involved with decision making on adaptations
- Always make sure the person with a physical disability is positioned to see and hear instructions
- Educate everyone involved in wheelchair safety issues
- Explore other roles: for example, scorekeeper/manager/coach
Intellectual Disability and Other Closely Related Developments Disabilities At times, you may see or hear the following terms to describe something about an athlete. These terms describe traits, or conditions, but they do not describe the person. There are few traits or characteristics that are true for all people with any label.
| Disability | Characteristics | Best 3 Strategies to Affect Learning |
| IntellectualDisability (General | - Information processing and learning occurs at a slower rate; attention span is short
- This was noticed for the first time before the person turned 18
| 1. Train for short periods of time -
- Provide repetition (key to athlete gaining new skill development)
- When training, think of athlete as literal thinkers
|
| Autism | - Communication difficulties
- “In their own world,” but frequently aware and bright
| -
- Craves established routines
- Signal transition, change, loud noises, etc.
- Provides highly structured and least distracting environment
|
| Cerebral Palsy | - Poor muscle control
- Does not necessarily indicate intellectual disability
- Difficulty with speech articulation
| -
- Work on strengthening muscles
- Teach skills in isolation to help build muscles
- Develop gross motor skills
|
| Down Syndrome | - Anywhere from moderate to significant intellectual disability
- Genetic cause
- Make sure you know about Atlanta-axial instability before you do a drill that puts pressure on the neck or head. About 10 percent of people with Down syndrome have weakened vertebrae. The information will be on the medical release
| -
- Set clear expectations and limits
- Use eye contact when talking; work one-no-one to demonstrate new skills (gain full attention)
- Use repetition and review
|
| Fetal alcohol Syndrome | - Tends to have attention and memory deficits.
- Find it difficult to stay on task.
- Has difficulty in remembering what was previously learned
| -
- Create routine
- Set rules and limits
- Reinforce acceptable behaviours
|
| Fragile X | - Elongated face
- Prone to seizures
- Coordination difficulties
| -
- Provide structured and predictable activities
- Provide minimal auditory and visual stimulations
- Establish routine and structure
|
| Prader Willi | - Sleep disturbance
- Compulsive eating
- Skin picking
| |