Disabled Children & Physical Activity: Improving Quality of Life - Research Paper

Introduction

The article describes that children who have developmental disabilities tend to participate less in physical activities. They thus experience low fitness levels, have low motor competence and also experience difficulties when performing skills of movement. There is a correlation between physical activity levels and health-related quality of life during the development of individuals with disabilities.

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The article tests the hypothesis of the improvement in the various experiences for children with disabilities such as in their functional motor ability, physical fitness and social skills by use of physical activity programs to ensure fitness and competence for these people (Bridges, 2018). It is such that the provision of these physical activity programs within the communities, which are perceived to be fun, feasible and accessible to improve fitness will be vital in the promotion of lifelong participation in the activities.

The article also considers the theoretical model of Rosenbaum and Gorter (Rosenbaum & Gorter, 2012). The model discusses the "F-words" in childhood disability and suggests that it is the way that people should think. These words include function, family, fitness, fun, friends, and future (Rosenbaum & Gorter, 2012). Function refers to the things that people do without necessarily focusing on how they are done. Family is an essential environment for these children. Fitness, on the other hand, is the way children stay physically active through exercises and opportunities for recreation.

Fun refers to the particular activities that children involve themselves in or enjoy participating. Friends refer to the relationships that these children establish with their peers for the importance of social development and being an essential aspect of personhood (Rosenbaum & Gorter, 2012). Future is the primary purpose of child development. It refers to the expectations of the parents and also children with their dreams for the future.

Methodology and Results

The methodology included a search strategy where there was a systematic review to examine the motivations for physical activity participation of children and also adolescents. It included searching in several databases such as Academic Search Premiere, Medline, and PsycINFO (Bridges, 2018). The articles were then compiled to retrieve necessary information of the ways to improve competence for children.

In the data collection process, there was a screening of all articles and abstract and the articles that met the inclusion criteria were grouped in the categories of the F words. There was also accessing the articles for the quality of methodology. The proposed concepts in the theoretical models were viewed in the perspective of how it helped in motivating a child with a physical disability.

The results of the systematic review were that the children and adolescents were more likely to participate in the physical activities with their friends, family members as well as other individuals having the same disabilities. It was found that it is difficult for these children to participate in physical activities in school as well as the outside school as a result of the motor limitations unless in instances where these activities were adapted to their abilities (Bridges, 2018).

For some individuals, physical activity was vital in improving their strength and also flexibility hence allowing them to be more independent. They could work on their projects without much help. Independence was served as a traditional motivator for these children to continue participating in physical activities. Their social and physical competence helped them be in full participation. Generally, the results revealed that the development of adapted gymnastics intervention was a great way of enhancing the motivation of children to participate in physical activities.

Critical Evaluation

The search is relevant as it helped to solve the problem of fitness and competence for children with disabilities. The major problem is that these children less participate in physical activities compared to their typically developing careers. The results showed the reason for the same and the particular areas that need improvement. By the provision of physical activity programs necessary for the children, it helps in the improvement of health-related fitness, psychological well-being, socialization and independence when performing their daily activities.

The search helped me learn more about the intervention of adapted gymnastics for children with disabilities. The findings were helpful in supporting the theory of F- words because the children proved to relate to the environment closest to them. They had fun with the family, friends and peers. The limitations of the study included that there was only a small number of articles that met the criteria for inclusion (Collins & Staples, 2017). This way, there was a need to examine the motivations of adolescents to engage in physical activities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the article was convincing in discussing the importance of presenting to these children with disabilities a gymnastic program they can use or physical activities. The reader can comfortably conclude that the provision of these physical activity programs within the communities, which are perceived to be fun, feasible and accessible have the ability to improve fitness, and will be vital in the promotion of lifelong participation in the activities.

References

Bridges, C. (2018). Improving Fitness, Executive Function, and Competence of Children with Developmental Disabilities through an Adapted Gymnastics Intervention.

Collins, K., & Staples, K. (2017). The role of physical activity in improving physical fitness in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Research in developmental disabilities, 69, 49-60. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0d5d/28d196104d8e8fad8f1259270d50c8dd60e6.pdf

Rosenbaum, P., & Gorter, J. W. (2012). The 'Fwords' in childhood disability: I swear this is how we should think! Child: care, health and development, 38(4), 457-463. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2011.01338.x