Adapted recreational and sports programs for children with disabilities: A decade of experience.

Objective: To identify and describe community based adapted sports and recreational programs (SARPs) for children with physically disabilities, documenting program types, benefits, challenges, growth and/or decline, and lessons they have learned over a 10-year period.

Methods: In 1996, a total of 277 children's hospitals and freestanding rehabilitation hospitals stating that they provided pediatric rehabilitation services were contacted and asked to provide information regarding adapted recreational and sports programs in their region. Seventy-nine SARPs were identified, contacted, and survyed about programming, benefits and challenges they faced. They were then re-surveyed in 2006 for comparison data.

Results: Ten years ago, the average SARP served 25 or fewer clients and was led by a therapeutic recreation specialist with assistance from volunteers. Most programs had been in place for 5 years or more, met weekly for 2-3 hours, and were recreational in orientation. Activities varied, with basketball, aquatics, horseback riding and snow skiing being most common. Fund-raisers and grants supported most programs, and securing funding was their greatest challenge. Participant benefits noted by programs included improved socialization, enhanced physical fitness, increased self esteem, improved therapeutic skills (ADL's, transfers, etc.), enhanced cognition, expanded client independence, improved community relations, and enhanced leisure skills. Ten years later, the majority of SARPs noted similar benefits, and reported an increase in number of participants despite continued challenges with funding and staffing. Leadership and mentorship by those with disabilities was still very low, but community awareness of the abilities of those with disabilities had increased.

Conclusions: Adapted sports and recreation programs surveyed in 1996 and again in 2006, report overall that their health is good, and many have retained the same programming, financial support mechanisms, leadership and participant mix over the years. Many have increased athlete participation despite financial challenges being a predominant concern. They report that their staying power is dependent on many factors, including leadership, participant referrals, an ample supply of volunteers, and consistent community and financial support. They feel that their success is important to the physical and psychological well-being of individuals with disabilities and that an increased focus on corporate sponsorship, participation and mentorship by those with disabilities may assist with future growth. Increased school involvement, development of more competitive vs. recreational programs, and improved research documenting the physical and psychological benefits of adapted sports programs were also recommended to improve future SARP stability.