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4 Steps To Create Effective Sports and Recreational Activities For Children With Special Abilities

12th February 2024

It’s very important for every child even children with special needs to participate in sports and recreational activities. These activities not only improve children’s motor skills but also develop their life skills such as- becoming a team player, learning how to bond with their peers, developing their self-confidence, and self-esteem, and enjoying participating in various sports and recreational activities.

However, according to reasearchgate.net, it has been found that children with special needs tend to participate less than their peers which also means their fitness level is also low compared to their peers.
 

  Source: reasearchgate.net

It’s every special needs educator's responsibility to help every child regardless of their abilities to unlock the full potential of their mental and physical skill so that no one is left behind. You must consider creating inclusive sports programs for individuals with sensory sensitivities in your classroom so that every child gets a chance to live a healthy and active life.

Let’s get to know some of the best ways to develop sports and recreational activities for every child in your classroom which also ensures promoting inclusion and accessibility in your recreational activities.

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So, without any further delay, let’s get started.

1. Provide Inclusion Training To Every Member

If you are considering developing an effective sports and recreational activities program then you must include other stakeholders like- teachers, parents, or even occupational therapists and give them inclusion training to create an effective program. By building partnerships to increase access to inclusive sports and recreation for every child with special needs and other students too.

Many researches show that inclusion training for every stakeholder will boost their confidence which will enable them to support children with special needs and be better equipped in organizing inclusive community sports leagues for all abilities.

Below we have shared some ways that will ensure that every member is trained properly to create effective sports and recreational activities:
 

• Provide them with handbooks, manuals, and online material to understand special needs children's requirements.
   
• Invite guest speakers or Disability Advocates to create awareness among all the members of your team.
   
• Encourage them to participate in Disability related topics conferences, events, or seminars.
   
• Provide them with adequate inclusive training from time to time.

2. Making sports & recreation accessible for all abilities:

Adapting sports activities for participants with physical disabilities and also making them accessible is one of the key factors in creating an inclusive program. Because without it, all the children with special abilities will struggle to participate and they feel excluded in the classroom which will ultimately impact their level of self-confidence and self-esteem.
 

Let’s get to know how to make the program inclusive and accessible to all children with special abilities:
 

• You can conduct an assessment to figure out what are accessibility requirements of your children with special needs are so that they can also participate in your inclusive sports and recreational program.
   
• You can consider collaborating with other disability organizations, experts, or consultants for accessibility and adapting sports activities for participants with physical disabilities.
   
• As we have mentioned earlier, you must train your team members or even hire coaches and train them on how they can provide engaging assistance and support to children with special abilities during sports and recreational activities.

3. Foster an Inclusive Environment in Your Classroom

One of the essential steps of creating inclusive sports programs for individuals with sensory sensitivities is creating a supportive and inclusive environment for special needs children in the classroom. This will help every child to see a welcoming and warm environment for them to participate in inclusive sports or recreational programs.

Additionally, it also ensures their parents and caregivers that your inclusive programs embrace every child's uniqueness and accept them.

Below we have shared various resources and strategies to create an inclusive environment for your classroom:
 

• You can consider sticking images that show that the classroom values every child’s ability and culture.
   
• You must communicate with empathy to your students to promote positive attitudes and behaviours in an inclusive environment.
   
• You must adjust your inclusive program activities to ensure that it’s accessible and adaptable and cater to the different skills and needs of children with special abilities.
   
• Create an environment where every child feels comfortable to share their every emotion, feeling, and experience without the fear of being judged and they get full support for it.

4. Fostering social inclusion in sports and recreation activities

While creating an inclusive program to make every child with special needs feel valued and included it’s also equally important to encourage them to engage with their peers. This will not only help them to make a friend and socialize but also create a community where every child will have a sense of belonging.

Let’s take a look at how you can achieve it in your classroom:
 

• Educate every child to embrace and support each other uniqueness and special ability.
   
• Give every child the opportunity to shine by giving them roles like- Timekeeper, Fiest-Aid assistant, and Snack helper.

Promoting Inclusion and Accessibility in Your Recreational Activities is The Key

Involving children with special abilities in different sports activities is very essential to develop their motor skills and make them physically active. With the above-mentioned steps of creating inclusive sports programs for individuals with sensory sensitivities, you can understand the need and create an effective inclusive program for them.

Additionally, pursuing courses like the MA in Education with Special Educational Needs will not just help you to create an effective sports and recreational activities program but also help you gain in-depth knowledge to understand the different needs of special needs children to provide the necessary support and guidance.

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Written By: Bindita Sinha