TEAM UP PROJECT

IO2
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION, SPECIAL OLYMPICS, PARALYMPICS

& INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

INTRODUCTION

Reading this introduction, you will understand:

▪ The importance of physical education (PE) and sports in the life of people with
intellectual disability (PWID).
▪ The meaning of inclusion in PE and sport settings.
▪ The basic knowledge requirements analyzed in the following chapters of Team
Up - IO2, that will help you succeed in your role to teach participants with
intellectual disabilities (ID) in sport and PE settings.

During the last decade, the European Declaration on the Health of Children and
Young People with Intellectual Disabilities (PWID) and their Families1 of the World
Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with UNICEF, the European Commission,
the Council of Europe and other social and educational providers and representatives,
acknowledged that PWID are often disadvantaged in their health care and access to
relative services from childhood onwards, children and young PWID and their families
are at risk of discrimination and their health and quality of life are strongly influenced
by poverty and inequality in our societies. Since then, joined efforts of these
international organizations have been intensified with a purpose to promote health and
well-being of children and young PWID and their families, to eliminate inequalities,
prevent discrimination and provide support in the development of their fullest potential
and successful transitions through life.
Overall, the representatives of member states in the WHO European Region first
identified ten priority areas1 that need to be addressed as a matter of urgency, including
identifying the needs of children and young PWID, protect them from harm and abuse
and enable them to grow in a family environment, ensure the coordination of good
quality mental and physical health care provided, empower children and young PWID
to contribute to decision-making about their lives, assure service quality and invest to
provide equal opportunities for all.
Next, they called upon all member states and invited all international
organizations and providers to adopt and implement all policies that are relative to these
priority objectives in an integrated and effective way and common action. Since it was
recognized that families of children and young PWID often receive little or no support
from responsible agencies, all representatives emphasized the need for the development
and expansion of community-based services to improve health and well-being of
PWID, eliminate institutionalization and promote inclusion.
Inclusion as a term endorsing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (UN, 2006) is primarily discussed in education emphasizing the right of all
children to benefit from an education without discrimination2, and has also been
discussed in various contexts including community, employment and work, cultural life
and leisure, recreation and sports.
The value of sports and physical exercise in improving health, wellbeing, and
quality of everyone’s life and promote inclusion is acknowledged by the World Health
Organization (WHO) and is even more important in the case of participants with ID.
For this reason, the European Disability Strategy 2010-20203 recognised the need to
encourage participation to the fullest extent possible, of persons with disabilities in
mainstream sporting activities at all levels, although difficulties in practicing inclusive
sports do continue to exist.
Nevertheless, the main point of reference regarding inclusion still remains
education, which is the reason why inclusive physical education (PE) is often connected
with the related concept of participation in disability sports. Although PE and sports as
terms are relative but different, since sports refer to the individual preference of each
child or young person with ID to participate in an inclusive environment of his choice
rather than being placed in a specific inclusion context by other education professionals,
from a comparative inclusive PE point of view, PE and sports both include the meanings
of access, participation and achievement in PE settings, so they are presented together
to sport coaches as relative inclusion terms.

Inclusion in PE and Sports

 Since the late 70s, inclusion, meaning educating students with disabilities in
general educational settings –including physical education (PE) - has started to emerge
as a movement first in US and then worldwide. Inclusion assumes that separate
education is not an equal education and it is guided by the fundamental principles of
valuing diversity, acceptance, sense of belonging and equal support for all individuals,
with and without disabilities, first in schools and later in workplace and life.
Inclusion movement is linked and is compatible with the equally strong concept
of least restrictive environment (LRE), a continuum of alternative environments
provided for the education of every individual with disabilities, ranging from the
general PE classroom without adaptations to full time adapted PE in special schools
and units, that reflect the nature and severity of the disability and the ability of the each
individual to perform in related sports.
With inclusion, there is no LRE continuum, the student has to be placed in the
general PE class and such assessment LRE practices can only occur after the student
has been placed in general PE settings. Nevertheless, “full inclusion” as a unified
approach to PE programming has not yet been fully realized due to differences
concerning available resources and support services, learning opportunities provided
and the ability of the sport coach/physical educator to use developmentally appropriate
practices and adaptations.
Quite clearly, equal participation within the same environment with necessary
support and individualized instruction provided when needed, has been proven a
difficult task to accomplish, since an obvious gap between theory and real application
of inclusion in practice has been noticed in previous years to a less or to a greater extent
in all countries.
Nowadays, inclusion philosophy has been generalized to exercise and sport
settings outside the schools. Thus, in this transitory period toward full inclusion in sport
and PE practice, sport coaches approaching the educational material of TeamUp project
– IO2 for participants with ID, should initially understand that knowledge concerning
adapted PE and sports constitutes a necessary requirement for a skillful PE educator
who is in position to provide equal sport opportunities and satisfy the educational needs
of all participants in his sport team or PE class, with or without ID.
 Placing individuals with ID into general PE settings and/or sports settings only
as a “physical presence” is not enough as a standard practice and can only make things
worse if there is no careful planning of the exercise, teaching and environment
adaptations required to additionally achieve instructional inclusion that refers to equal
involvement of the participant with disability in the sport team or PE class as well as
social inclusion referring to positive social interactions with peers during sports and
exercise.
Thus, the purpose of the TeamUp project – IO2 is to present in a simple way to
sport coaches who are not necessarily familiarized with ID, adapted PE and sports, the
following basic knowledge requirements so as to help them succeed in their role to
teach participants with intellectual disabilities in sport and PE settings:
• Knowledge concerning intellectual disability conditions, causes, severity,
classification and main ID syndromes.
• Knowledge concerning adaptations in teaching, exercise and environment
according to ID condition and individual characteristics of participants.
• Inclusion strategies for participants with ID.
• Design and implementation of the Individualized Education Program (I.E.P.) for
persons with ID, following a holistic evaluation approach of psychomotor skills
and development followed by lesson planning structure and application with
short, middle and long term objectives specified.
• Knowledge concerning Special Olympics and Paralympics Sports for athletes
with ID.
Providing an overall picture of the basic knowledge and skills that every sport
coach should possess to succeed when working with participants with ID, the crucial
objective is not only to provide knowledge but to help sport coaches to act as facilitators
in their own country and local community transmitting this knowledge and promoting
the values of World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF for the most benefit of
participants with ID and their families.

References
UN (United Nations). (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
New York: United Nations.
Links
1
http://www.euro.who.int/data/assets/pdf_file/0015/121263/e94506.pdf
2
http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Policy_Dialogue/48th_ICE/Genera
l_Presentation-48CIE-English.pdf
3
https://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM%3A2010%3A0636%
3AFIN%3Aen%3APDF

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

Reading this section, you will learn about:

▪ Definition and severity classification of intellectual disability (ID).
▪ Causes, prevalence, characteristics and main ID syndromes.

Definition and Severity Classification

Persons with intellectual disabilities constitute one of the largest and most
representative disability groups, with approximately 2 – 3 percent of the global
population -as many as 200 million people- having an intellectual disability.
According to the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities (AAIDD) definition and other similar ones, intellectual disability (ID) is a
disability characterized by significant limitations in cognitive functioning a) that is two
or more standard deviations below the mean of a standardized IQ test b) has an onset
prior the age of 18 and c) coexists with adaptive behavior difficulties as expressed in
conceptual, social and daily living adaptive skills that adversely affect an individual’s
education and integration into society.
Many systems exist for classifying the severity of intellectual disability based
on IQ scoring, as this is determined mainly through the application of the most
extensively used IQ tests worldwide, that is, the newest editions of the Stanford-Binet
Test (SB5) and the Wechler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) Test.
Nevertheless, although classification systems are necessary for research
purposes, provision of services and a common language needed among professionals
to communicate, labeling an individual according to skills and social expectations
remains an issue. Consequently, severity classification during the last years has started
 to shift from a “deficit level” within the individual as previously described by DSM-
IV, to the relation between the functionality level of the individual and the environment,
as recently described by DSM-5 and AAIDD.
The DSM-5 has placed more emphasis on adaptive functioning and daily living
skills whereas AAIDD criteria mainly focus on the intensity of support needed in daily
situations, allowing in this way a more comprehensive view of each individual with ID.
The purpose was to a) identify strengths and limitations of each person in terms of
intellectual ability, physical and mental health, adaptive behavior, participation in daily
activities and the family, social and culture conditions within PWID live in, and b)
develop an overall profile of supports and resources needed to promote education,
health, behavioral and social functioning, personal well-being and independence in
home, community and employment living settings of each person with ID.
Overall, a full profile of intellectual disability as described by Boat et al (2015)
that is useful for coaches, presents in brief the severity classification of ID throughout
recent years (Table 1).

Table 1. Severity Classification of Intellectual Disability

AAIDD criteria
Approximate DSM-IV criteria DSM-5 criteria
Severity Severity based on the
Percent Approximate Severity based on
Category intensity of support
Distribution IQ Range daily living skills
needed
Independent living Intermittent support
Mild 85% 50-69 with minimum levels during transitions of
of support periods of uncertainty
Independent living
with moderate levels
Limited support in daily
Moderate 10% 36-49 of support (e.g. those
situations
available in group
homes)
Daily assistance with
Extensive support for
Severe 3.5% 20-35 self-care activities and
daily activities
safety supervision
 Pervasive support for
Profound 1.5% <20 24-hour care every aspect of daily
routines

Regardless of changes in formal definition and terms used to describe ID over

the years, what may also be of practical interest to PE teachers and sport coaches is the
educational classification of students with ID, developed to help the specification of
teaching expectations. Thus, in terms of educational classification, individuals with ID
were previously classified into educable, trainable and dependent.
Educable, refers to students of mild to moderate ID with IQ ranging from 50
to 75 who have limited potential in terms of writing, reading, spelling, arithmetic and
other academic skills, but they have the capacity to progress academically with
minimum support to a late elementary level, to adjust socially up to a point where they
can live independently in the community and to support themselves occupationally
during adulthood. Trainable, refers to students with IQ that fall below 50 who are not
in position to profit from the education program of educable students with ID, but they
have the potential to develop self-help and personal hygiene skills as well as living
skills in close settings such as home and neighborhood and to learn economic value in
sheltered settings of home, workshops and institutions. Finally, dependent refer to
students with profound ID that it is rare to meet in any educational environment, since
due to their lack of mental, motor and social skills they need constant supervision and
help to take care of their personal needs. Nowadays, these terms have been replaced by
the use of terms such as “moderate” and “severe” ID, nevertheless, their practical
meaning remains the same and it is good for sport coaches to know these terms if they
come across them during PE practice.

Causes of ID

Intellectual disability can be caused by multiple factors related to when they

occur a) prenatally (e.g. genetic conditions such as Down syndrome and fragile X
syndrome, environmental influences such as fetal alcohol syndrome and malnutrition,
metabolism errors e.g. phenylketonuria and brain formation disorders e.g., spina bifida
and hydrocephalus) b) perinatally (e.g. head trauma or oxygen deprivation at birth,
infections, nutritional and late-onset metabolic disorders) or c) postnatally (e.g.
infections such as meningitis, head injuries, toxins, environmental deprivation).
The most common conditions of intellectual disabilities are fetal alcohol
syndrome, fragile X Syndrome and Down Syndrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome is one of
the prevalent causes of ID with its incidence ranging about 35 % of women who drink
heavily during pregnancy. Fragile – X syndrome that refers to a gap or break in the
long-arm of the X chromosome is the leading inherited cause of ID. Other known
chromosome disorders causing ID include Turner Syndrome (females only), Noonan
syndrome, XYY and Klinefelter syndrome (males only) Williams syndrome and Down
syndrome.
Down syndrome (DS) with its three types (trisomy 21, translocation and
mosaicism) of chromosomal condition is of particular mention, since chromosomal
abnormality mainly caused by failure of chromosome pair 21 to separate properly
before or during fertilization (trisomy 21), results not only in specific physical
characteristics that are well known to everyone (short stature and limbs with broad
hands and feet, flattened back of skull and facial features including bridge of nose, short
neck, almond-shaped eyes and small oral cavity) but also to other characteristics
directly related to the additional exercise adaptations needed during PE lessons and
sports compared to other cases of ID without DS (Sherrill, 2004)..
In general, syndromes causing ID are named after the person who first
discovered them (e.g. Down, Apert and Prader-Willi syndrome), or the distinguished
features (tuberous sclerosis) or the causative factor (fetal alcohol). Each syndrome may
possess certain physical -facial, stature and weight- characteristics, behavior features,
developmental delays, health and sensory issues that should additionally be taken into
account when designing the exercise program. Thus, every sport coach should seek
every time additional sources of knowledge related to the specific ID condition and the
relative adaptations of exercise according to individual case.

Characteristics of Individuals with ID

Intellectual disability affects all aspects of a person’s life. Individuals with ID
are more likely to react to external stimuli at a slower rate, as well as to understand
directions, to follow instructions, to generalize information, to think in abstract terms,
and to draw conclusions. Consequently, their learning progress is slower and they do
not benefit from “traditional schooling” without support. Furthermore, they more
frequently demonstrate poor short term memory and concentration as well as attention
and behavior deficits with inappropriate responses to emotional and social situations.
Their delayed motor development and skills and poor physical fitness are often due to
the disability itself and health issues that often accompanying it, along with the lack of
opportunities of individuals with ID to participate in motor activities as compared to
participants without ID, which in turn lead to obesity trends and lower fitness levels
and motor performance. As a result, persons with intellectual disabilities exhibit the
following:

Table 2: Physical and Psychomotor Characteristics of Individuals with ID

Performance Level of Individuals with ID
Lower fitness Immature manifestation Deficits in one or more of the following
levels concerning: of basic motor skills: psychomotor domains:
• aerobic power • walking • Knowledge of various parts of the
• muscle • running body, self and others.
strength • jumping • Knowledge of various positions of
• flexibility • catching body in space (seating, standing,
• speed • throwing prone, supine, on fours).

• kicking • Balance ability (static and dynamic).

• Laterality (ability to discriminate left
from right).
• Directionality of body in space (ability
to understand left and right, up and
down, in and out, top and bottom, front
and back in relation to space and where
things are).
• Knowledge and control of breathing.

Generally, the greater the intellectual disability, the greater is the delay in the
learning process and language development, adaptive/social behaviors and emotional
responses, as well as the physical and motor characteristics that persons with ID often
exhibit.
References

Kokaridas, D. (2016). Exercise and Disability: Individualization, Adaptations and

Inclusion Issues. Thessaloniki: Kyriakidis Publications.
Sherrill, C. (2004). Adapted Physical Activity, Recreation and Sport: Crossdisciplinary
and Lifespan. WCB/McGraw Hill: Dubuque, IA.
Winnick, J., & Porretta, D. L. (2016). Adapted physical education and sport. Human
Kinetics: Champaign, IL.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS & PARALYMPIC GAMES

Reading this section, you will be informed about:

▪ The two major sport events organized for athletes with intellectual and other
disabilities.
▪ The similarities and differences between the Special Olympics and the Paralympic
Games.
▪ The history and relative information of each major sport event.
▪ The disability type, eligibility and divisioning/classification process of athletes
participating in Special Olympics and Paralympics respectively.
▪ The Special Olympics and Paralympic sports available for athletes with
disabilities along with relative coaching resources.

Organized sport for athletes with disabilities along with the number of
participants with disabilities involved in sport and recreation is gradually increasing
throughout the world with the two major disability sporting organizations including the
Special Olympics and the Paralympic Games along with the Deaflympics as a fast
growing sport event.
The Special Olympics and the Paralympic Games are similar in that they both
a) focus on sports for athletes with disabilities, b) they are separate sport organizations
recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and c) they are run by
international non-profit organizations. Other than that, they are very different and
completely separated associations that should not be confused with each other, since
they differ in the following three key areas:

The disability of athletes

In Special Olympics, the athletes (ages 8 and older) must be identified as having
an intellectual disability. Paralympic Games include athletes from six main disability
categories, that is, amputee, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, visual disabilities,
spinal cord injuries and 'les autres' conditions, with no age minimum of athletes but at
a reasonable young adult age (usually between 18 to 30 years) to compete at elite level.

Philosophy and participation criteria

In Special Olympics, all athletes with intellectual disabilities of all ability levels
are welcome, with no clear distinction between elite and recreational sport and with an
overall purpose to achieve acceptance, inclusion and dignity for all through sports.
Special Olympics emphasize participation and sport excellence is considered as a
personal achievement that reflects the maximum potential of each athlete with
intellectual disability. In Paralympics, elite performance sport requires years of training
to achieve high level performance and athletes have to fulfill certain criteria and meet
certain qualification standards to become eligible to compete and represent their
countries in the Paralympic Games.

Structure of the organizations

The Special Olympics is a worldwide movement for PWID that happens year-
round in 170 countries, with a goal to promote acceptance and inclusion for all and
reach as many as 200 million PWID around the world through participation in 32
Olympics-types sports and a wide range of 220 programs operating on a daily basis.
Although there is no affiliation of Special Olympics with the Olympic Games, the
Paralympics on the other hand are run by the International Paralympics Committee
(IPC), with the IPC committee members chosen from 165 nations around the world to
form the General Assembly as the highest body of IPC governance. Since the IPC has
joined the International Olympic Committee, the country that is selected to host the
Olympic Games is also committed to organize the Paralympic Games a week after the
Olympics, with the same policies and rules applied both for athletes with and without
disabilities, such as compulsory drug testing.
 All differences between Special Olympics and Paralympics can be summarized
as follows:

Table 1: Special Olympics and Paralympic Games differences

Special Olympics Paralympic Games
Athletes from six main disability conditions,
Athletes with intellectual that is, amputee, cerebral palsy, intellectual
disability disability, visual disabilities, spinal cord injuries
and 'les autres' conditions
No clear distinction between elite
and recreational sport, emphasis Elite level of competition
on participation
All athletes with intellectual Participation is eligible only when athletes
disabilities are welcome (ages 8 fulfill certain criteria and meet certain
and older) of all ability levels. qualification standards
Classification, to define a) eligibility of athletes
who are allowed to compete according to
Divisioning, from three (3) to
disability type that is severe enough to have an
eight (8) athletes or teams set up
impact on performance and b) sport class
according to gender, age and
allocation for dividing eligible athletes into
ability level
sport classes that cause approximately the same
amount of activity limitation in each sport.
All athletes or teams are
Medals are awarded only to the first, second
awarded, from the 1st through the
and third-place winners.
8th place in each event.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

History

Special Olympics is a global non-profit organization that was officially founded

in 1968, shaped by the vision of its founder, Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1921-2009),
sister of US President John F. Kennedy. It all began fifty years ago during the post-war
years of the 1950s and early 1960s, when Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw how individuals
with intellectual disabilities lived in the shadows of society and treated unjustly and
unfairly, with no chance whatsoever to receive education, to work or even encouraged
to become equal members of the community. Since many children with intellectual
disabilities didn’t even have a place to play, a vision was born in June 1962 at a summer
camp at Eunice's home, where children and adults with intellectual disabilities were
invited to explore their own potential in various sports activities.
Continuing the pioneering work, her vision grew from a summer camp for
PWID to a World Movement and in the summer of 1968, the first Special Olympics
Summer Games were held in Chicago, Illinois, with 1,000 athletes with intellectual
disabilities from 26 US states and Canada. Since then, Special Olympics movement
gained momentum, international acknowledgment and growth and evolved into the
world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities,
with other milestones including the first Special Olympics Winter Games held in 1977
in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and the recognition of Special Olympics in 1988 by
the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Nowadays, Special Olympics World Games are conducted annually, alternating
between Summer and Winter Games, with more than 4.9 million athletes with
intellectual disabilities from 172 countries participating in more than 30 summer and
winter sports. As the Special Olympics movement continues to grow, building an
inclusive world through the joy of Unified Sports program intensified during the last
decade for people with and without intellectual disabilities and led to the increase of
the number of athletes with intellectual disabilities and Unified Sports teammates of up
to 5.7 million participants. Overall, Special Olympics mission remains the same since
its foundation, that is, to promote acceptance and inclusion for all and reach as many as
200 million PWID and their families around the world through the power of sports and
a wide range of competitions provided, that are currently held every day at local,
regional and national level, adding up to more than 70,000 sport events every year.

Athletes & Participation

Special Olympics sports are available for athletes with intellectual disabilities
free of charge, who are encouraged to join for the physical and psychological benefits
derived from sports participation. To participate in Special Olympics, an individual
must be at least 8 years old and identified by a health organization or professional as
having “intellectual disabilities, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment,
or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require or
have required specially designed instruction1”. As also mentioned in previous chapter,
ID can be defined as a disability characterized by significant limitations in cognitive
functioning, a) that is two or more standard deviations below the mean of a standardized
IQ test b) has an onset prior the age of 18 and c) coexists with adaptive behavior
difficulties as expressed in conceptual, social and daily living adaptive skills that
adversely affect an individual’s education and integration into society.
Participants having a closely related developmental disability defined as
functional limitations in both general learning skills and adaptive skills are also eligible
to participate in Special Olympics. However, persons having a closely related
developmental disability “whose functional limitations are based solely on a physical,
behavioral, or emotional disability, or a specific learning or sensory disability, are not
eligible to participate as Special Olympics athletes2”. Thus, some of the athletes with
autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are eligible for Special Olympics, while others are
not, for example, those with a higher level of ASD who may have an average, or above
average intelligence. Such decisions are relied on professional assessment to determine
eligibility for Special Olympics2.
Nevertheless, even those who are not eligible to compete, they can still get
involved as volunteers or partners in the “Unified Sports Program” that has been
intensified during the last decade and brings together athletes with and without
intellectual disabilities as teammates, with more than 1.4 million people worldwide
nowadays taking part. Special Olympics also created a “Young Athlete Program” for
children aged from 2 to 7 years old, aiming to develop gross motor skills, eye-hand
coordination and foster socialization and learning process through inclusive sport and
play.
Families of PWID can also get involved and encourage their athletes by
attending or volunteering at sport events. Event volunteers, coaches, supporters,
sponsors or donors and fans around the world play a crucial role that promotes growth
of Special Olympics movement, whereas coaches have the opportunity to become
partners with sport organizations and receive training through the “Coach Excellence
Program”.

Divisioning

A key difference in competition level that is completely unique to Special

Olympics compared to other sport organizations and events is divisioning. As a
process, divisioning gives all athletes with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to
compete in equitable divisions of similar ability. Divisioning is a two-stage process and
every coach plays an important role in this regard.
In stage 1, the ability of an athlete with intellectual disability is determined by
an entry score that coaches submit, namely, a time or distance for each athlete on
individual sports. For team sports (e.g. football) that are not timed or measured as well
as judged sports (e.g. gymnastics), coaches submit athlete or team ratings prior to
competition, or there is an assessment of each athlete or team’s ability by a committee
through a series of short games between the athletes or teams.
In stage 2, the divisions for athletes or teams are set up according to three
criteria, that is, gender, age and ability level so that each set of contenders is closely
matched and no more than a 15% difference exists between the most highly skilled and
the lowest skilled athlete or team in each division. Furthermore, each division have to
include from a minimum of three (3) athletes or teams to a maximum of eight (8)
athletes or teams, since medals are awarded to the first, second and third-place winners
in each Special Olympics event, and ribbons are awarded to athletes or teams finish in
4th through 8th place.
In this way, athletes and teams have a fair chance to compete and achieve greater
success within a more exciting and encouraging sport setting that provides meaningful
competition and makes athletes do their best. As the Special Olympics athlete’s oath
since 1968 has stated, "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt".
Sports
Since 1968 and the first three -track and field, swimming and floor hockey-
sports that took place during the 1st Special Olympics, more sports were gradually
introduced over the next decades first in training and then in Special Olympics
competitions, leading to a 30-plus individual and team sports offered today to athletes
with intellectual disabilities. These sports as currently mentioned in the official Special
Olympics site (https://www.specialolympics.org/) along with online coaching guides,
rules, and other useful materials available for coaches are:

Table 2: Special Olympics Sports and Coaching Resources

SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Summer Sports Coaching Resources
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Athletics
essentials/sports-and-coaching/athletics
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Badminton
essentials/sports-and-coaching/badminton
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Basketball
essentials/sports-and-coaching/basketball
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Bocce
essentials/sports-and-coaching/bocce
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Bowling
essentials/sports-and-coaching/bowling
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Cricket
essentials/sports-and-coaching/cricket
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Cycling
essentials/sports-and-coaching/cycling
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Equestrian
essentials/sports-and-coaching/equestrian
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Football
essentials/sports-and-coaching/football
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Golf
essentials/sports-and-coaching/golf
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Gymnastics
essentials/sports-and-coaching/gymnastics
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Rhythmic Gymnastics essentials/sports-and-coaching/gymnastics/rhythmic-
gymnastics
 https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Handball
essentials/sports-and-coaching/handball
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Judo
essentials/sports-and-coaching/judo
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Kayaking
essentials/sports-and-coaching/kayaking
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Motor Activity Training Program essentials/sports-and-coaching/motor-activity-
training-program
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Netball
essentials/sports-and-coaching/netball
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Open Water Swimming
essentials/sports-and-coaching/open-water-swimming
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Powerlifting
essentials/sports-and-coaching/power-lifting
https://www.specialolympics.org/our-
Roller Skating
work/sports/roller-skating
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Sailing
essentials/sports-and-coaching/sailing
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Softball
essentials/sports-and-coaching/softball
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Swimming
essentials/sports-and-coaching/swimming
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Table Tennis
essentials/sports-and-coaching/table-tennis
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Tennis
essentials/sports-and-coaching/tennis
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Triathlon
essentials/sports-and-coaching/triathlon
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Volleyball
essentials/sports-and-coaching/volleyball
Winter Sports Coaching Resources
 https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Alpine Skiing
essentials/sports-and-coaching/alpine-skiing
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Cross-Country Skiing
essentials/sports-and-coaching/cross-country-skiing
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Figure Skating
essentials/figure-skating
https://www.specialolympics.org/our-
Floorball
work/sports/floorball
https://www.specialolympics.org/our-
Floor Hockey
work/sports/floor-hockey
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Short Track Speed Skating essentials/sports-and-coaching/short-track-speed-
skating
https://www.specialolympics.org/our-
Snowboarding
work/sports/snowboarding
https://resources.specialolympics.org/sports-
Snowshoeing
essentials/sports-and-coaching/snowshoeing

A particular mention should be made regarding the “Motor Activity Training

Program (MATP)” that is designed for athletes with severe or profound intellectual
disability and significant physical disabilities, with activities that correspond to the
official Special Olympics sports and provided as a starting point to develop
individualized training programs for each participant. The overall, aim, is through
individualized instruction to help the athlete perform these activities better and get
closer towards participation in the official Special Olympics low competitions.
Special Olympics focus on what athletes with intellectual disabilities CAN do,
not what they can’t. In this mission to provide continuing opportunities to exercise and
experience joy and fulfillment in sport settings and life, Special Olympics seek
coaching excellence, that is, enthusiastic and committed sport coaches with positive
attitude that can become role models and help athletes with intellectual disabilities to
reach their fullest potential and personal best. Every sport coach who desires to
experience life-changing moments can initiate the process of becoming a Special
Olympics coach by getting in touch with the nearest Special Olympics organization in
his country or region3.

Links
1
https://www.specialolympics.org/about/faq, Retrieved 11/12/2019
2
https://specialolympicsflorida.org/wp-
content/uploads/2013/08/AthleteEligibility.pdf, Retrieved 11/12/2019
3
https://origin.prod.dotorg.soi.psdops.com/programs, Retrieved 11/12//2019

PARALYMPICS

History

World-War II caused large numbers of injured service members and civilians

and created the need to introduce sports as a crucial part of their rehabilitation during
post-war years. In general, sports for people with disabilities developed out of these
post – war rehabilitation services provided to assist war veterans with disabilities, that
later grew into recreational and competitive sports.
The pioneer was Ludwig Guttmann of the Stoke Mandeville Hospital who
organized an archery competition for wheelchair athletes named the Stoke Mandeville
Games, at the same day of the opening ceremony in 1948 while the Olympic Games
were being held in London. The Stoke Mandeville Games as a milestone of Paralympic
history later became the first Paralympic Games that took place in Rome in 1960
including 400 athletes with disabilities from 23 countries.
Since then, the Paralympic Games took place every four years and along with
the first Paralympic Winter Games held in Sweden in 1976, they have gradually grown
greatly in size and scale in terms of the number of sports contested in the summer and
winter Paralympics as well as the number of athletes with a diverse range of disabilities
who are eligible to participate and represent their countries.
In 1989, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) was founded to act as
the global governing organization of Paralympics. Since the IPC has joined the
International Olympic Committee (IOC), the country that is selected to host the
Olympic Games is also committed to organize the Paralympic Games a week after the
Olympics, with the same policies and rules applied both for athletes with and without
disabilities.
This is exactly the etymology of the word ‘Paralympic’, since it derives from
the Greek preposition “para” (beside or alongside) and the word “Olympics”, meaning
that the Paralympics and the Olympics are parallel Games and global sport movements
that exist side-by-side.
Nowadays, the Paralympics Games are an international non-profit organization
and a major multi-sport event for athletes with physical, visual and intellectual
disabilities that run under the supervision of the International Paralympics Committee
(IPC) as the leading organization responsible, in cooperation with other international
sports federations.

Table 3. International Federations of Paralympic Sports

PARALYMPICS

Sports Governing Body

Athletics, Powerlifting,
Shooting, Swimming
Alpine skiing, Nordic
IPC International Paralympics Committee
Skking (Biathlon, Cross-
country skiing), Para ice-
hockey, Snowboard
Football 5-a-side, Goalball,
IBSA International Blind Sports Federation
Judo
Archery WA World Archery
Badminton BWF Badminton World Federation
Boccia BISFed Boccia International Sports Federation
Canoe ICF International Canoe Federation
Cycling UCI Union Cycliste Internationale
Equestrian FEI Fédération Équestre Internationale
Fédération Internationale des Sociétés
Rowing FISA
d’Aviron
Sitting Volleyball WOVD World ParaVolley Discipline
 Table tennis ITTF International Table Tennis Federation
Taekwondo WT World Taekwondo
Triathlon ITU International Triathlon Union
Wheelchair basketball IWBF International Wheelchair Basketball Federation
International Wheelchair & Amputee Sports
Wheelchair fencing IWAS
Federation
Wheelchair rugby IWRF International Wheelchair Rugby Federation
Wheelchair tennis ITF International Tennis Federation
Wheelchair curling WCF World Curling Federation

The IPC committee members are chosen from 165 nations around the world to
form the General Assembly as the highest body of IPC governance.

Sports

There are currently 28 Paralympic sports sanctioned by the IPC, that is, twenty
two (22) sports for the summer Paralympics and six (6) for the winter Paralympics
available for athletes with physical, visual or intellectual disabilities. Some sports
include athletes of all disabilities (e.g. athletics, swimming), other sports are specific to
one disability (e.g. goalball, judo) or a selection of disability types (e.g. cycling,
equestrian).
The Paralympic sports that officially include athletes with ID are athletics (track
and field events), swimming and table tennis, all representative sports involving many
participating athletes. However, a wide range of disability conditions can lead to
intellectual disabilities. For example, in the case of individuals with cerebral palsy as
athletes with a physical disability condition competing in most Paralympic Sports, the
greater the level of athletes’ physical disability the greater is also the chance to have an
intellectual disability. Thus, knowledge of Paralympic sports is essential for coaches of
athletes with intellectual disabilities that should not be limited only to Special
Olympics.
The number of sport events may change from one Paralympic Games to another,
since badminton and tae kwon are the two newest sports that will make their debut at
the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Current sports mentioned in the official Special
 Olympics site1 along with online coaching resources and other useful materials
available for coaches, are:

Table 4. Paralympic Sports & Coaching Resources

PARALYMPIC GAMES
Eligible Disabilities
Summer Sports Coaching Resources
Physical Visual Intellectual
Archery https://www.paralympic.org/archery
Athletics https://www.paralympic.org/athletics
Badminton https://www.paralympic.org/badminton
Boccia https://www.paralympic.org/boccia
Canoe https://www.paralympic.org/canoe
Cycling https://www.paralympic.org/cycling
Equestrian https://www.paralympic.org/equestrian
https://www.paralympic.org/football-5-a-
Football 5-a-side
side
Goalball https://www.paralympic.org/goalball
Judo https://www.paralympic.org/judo
Powerlifting https://www.paralympic.org/powerlifting
Rowing https://www.paralympic.org/rowing
Shooting https://www.paralympic.org/shooting
https://www.paralympic.org/sitting-
Sitting Volleyball
volleyball
Swimming https://www.paralympic.org/swimming
Table tennis https://www.paralympic.org/table-tennis
Taekwondo https://www.paralympic.org/taekwondo
Triathlon https://www.paralympic.org/triathlon
https://www.paralympic.org/wheelchair-
Wheelchair basketball
basketball
https://www.paralympic.org/wheelchair-
Wheelchair fencing
fencing
 https://www.paralympic.org/wheelchair-
Wheelchair rugby
rugby
https://www.paralympic.org/wheelchair-
Wheelchair tennis
tennis
Eligible Disabilities
Winter Sports Coaching Resources
Physical Visual Intellectual
Alpine skiing https://www.paralympic.org/alpine-skiing
Nordic Skiing https://www.paralympic.org/nordic-skiing
(Biathlon
Cross-country skiing)
Para ice hockey https://www.paralympic.org/ice-hockey
Snowboard https://www.paralympic.org/snowboard
Wheelchair curling https://www.paralympic.org/wheelchair-
curling

Disability of Athletes & Classification System

Elite level athletes who can participate in both summer or winter Paralympics
come from six main disability conditions, that is, amputees, cerebral palsy, intellectual
disability, visual disabilities, spinal cord injuries and 'les autres' conditions. Thus,
although not every disability can participate in every –summer or winter- sport, athletes
competing in Paralympic Games include those with a physical (amputees, cerebral
palsy, spinal cord injuries, ‘les autres’ conditions), visual or intellectual disability.
Since there is always a threat that the athlete with less disability will predictably
win in sports competition, the International Paralympics Committee (IPC) has
established a classification system to determine which athletes are eligible to compete
and how athletes are grouped together according to the degree of activity limitation
resulting from the disability. As different sports require different activities performed,
the classification system established by IPC is consequently sport-specific to
counterbalance the differ impact of disability conditions in each sport.
Athletes with disabilities are classified -before or in competitions- by a
classification panel of two or three classifiers who are trained and certified by the
international federation of sports recognized by IPC (see table 3). International
federations also have the responsibility to provide authority and guidance of their sports
during the Paralympic Games.
Overall, the IPC has adopted the definitions of eligible disability types described
by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) of World
Health Organization (WHO) and accordingly established ten categories of physical,
visual and intellectual disability applied to both summer and winter Paralympics.

Table 5. Eligible Disability of Athletes in Paralympic Games2

Eligible Disability Types
Disability Type Description
Reduced force generated by muscles or muscle
Impaired muscle groups, such as muscles of one limb or the lower
power half of the body, as caused, for example, by
spinal cord injuries, spina bifida or polio.
Range of movement in one or more joints is
Impaired passive reduced permanently, for example due to
range of arthrogryposis. Hypermobility of joints, joint
movement instability, and acute conditions, such as arthritis,
are not considered eligible impairments.
Total or partial absence of bones or joints as a
consequence of trauma (e.g. car accident), illness
Physical Limb deficiency
(e.g. bone cancer) or congenital limb deficiency
Disability
(e.g. dysmelia).
Leg length Bone shortening in one leg due to congenital
difference deficiency or trauma.
Reduced standing height due to abnormal
dimensions of bones of upper and lower limbs or
Short stature
trunk, for example due to achondroplasia or
growth hormone dysfunction.
Abnormal increase in muscle tension and a
reduced ability of a muscle to stretch, due to a
Hypertonia
neurological condition, such as cerebral palsy,
brain injury or multiple sclerosis.
 Lack of co-ordination of muscle movements due
Ataxia to a neurological condition, such as cerebral
palsy, brain injury or multiple sclerosis
Generally characterized by unbalanced,
involuntary movements and a difficulty in
Athetosis maintaining a symmetrical posture, due to a
neurological condition, such as cerebral palsy,
brain injury or multiple sclerosis.
Vision impacted by either an impairment of the eye structure, optical
Visual
nerves or optical pathways, or the visual cortex (ranging from partial
Disability
vision adequately judged as legally blind, to total blindness).
A limitation in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior as
Intellectual
expressed in conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills, which
Disability
originates before the age of 18.

In each Paralympic sport, classification rules: a) define which -present and

permanent- eligible disabilities are entitled to participate b) set minimum disability
criteria that describe how severe an eligible disability should be so the athletes are
considered eligible to compete in each sport (e.g. amputation level for athletes with
limb deficiency, maximum height for athletes with short stature).
Minimum disability criteria are sport-specific. Thus, in case an athlete is eligible
to compete for a sport, the classification panel will assess in which sport class the athlete
with compete in the specific sport. In other words, sport class represents the placement
of athletes by the classification panel, within groups of athletes exhibiting similar
activity limitations due to disability, to ensure equal competition.
Since some sports include athletes of all disabilities, other sports are specific to
one disability or a selection of disability types and minimum disability criteria are
different in each sport, sport classes also differ by sport in terms of a) number, ranging
from one sport class (e.g. para powerlifting) to 52 sport classes (e.g. athletics) and b)
disability type of athletes competing together in case different disabilities cause similar
activity limitations in a specific sport (e.g. wheelchair basketball with athletes with
spinal cord injury and leg amputation competing together).
 Eligible disabilities, the eligibility of athletes meeting the minimum disability
criteria and sport class allocation of athletes, represent the three steps of the
classification process that ensure equal opportunities for sport competition in
Paralympic Games and enable athletes to achieve sporting excellence and promote
inspiration, inclusion and social equality as the utmost value of the Paralympic
movement.

Links
1
https://www.paralympic.org/, Retrieved 11/12/2019
2
https://www.paralympic.org/classification, Retrieved 11/12/2019