Physical activity is an important aspect in every person’s life for different reasons; keeping fit, seeing friends, having time alone, building strength and endurance. At different stages of life, physical activity will mean different things to people, for children the focus is all rounded health including physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. For kids with disabilities this becomes even more important as it builds skills that they will need for the rest of their life such as listening to instructions, asking for help, learning how to be a good friend, problem solving and working as a team. At this crucial stage of life these skills need to be learnt in an engaging and fun way that also provides the opportunity for them to learn about themselves and build their identity.
Benefits of Physical Activity for Children with Disabilities
Enhancing motor skills
Physical activity involves full body movement and in turn works on motor skills that everyone needs in their day to day lives. It improves gross motor skills such as coordination, balance, strength, joint stability and mobility. It also works on improving proprioception, reaction time, sensory processing, body awareness, motor learning/ planning and sensory motor.
Many gross motor skills are developed before fine motor skills, so while a child is young, physical activity and playing are super important to promote the development of future milestones and skills. A child needs to learn to control their body and have the core strength to sit down with correct posture before they can do it holding a pencil and learn to colour in.
Cognitive development
There is a strong connection between physical activity and cognitive function because exercise stimulates brain activity and enhances cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, and problem solving skills. By engaging a child in regular physical activity, it promotes brain development, improves learning potential, and boosts academic performance. Exercise also stimulates the production of new neurons in the brain. Aerobic fitness in children is associated with faster cognitive processing speed, better executive control and school academics (reading accuracy, phonemic skills, verbal working memory and reduction in inattentive symptoms).
Social interaction and emotional well-being.
Physical activity provides an excellent opportunity for a child to engage in social interactions and develop these social skills with peers in a supported environment. Encouraging a child to participate in group activities or sports enables them to interact with peers, fostering friendships, cooperation, teamwork, and communication skills, all of which are essential parts of group sports. These interactions help reduce feelings of isolation and enhance self-esteem and self-confidence in children with developmental delays. Physical activity has shown to have a positive impact on emotional well-being by reducing stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression due to the social connectedness.
Self-Regulation
When a child’s physical activity needs are met they are better able to regulate their emotions, attention and behaviours. This is due to exercise releasing endorphins which act to increase mood and promote a sense of calmness, and is associated with the activation of the prefrontal cortex which is also responsible for self-regulatory behaviours. Building self-regulation skills assists with building social skills and achieving developmental milestones.
Challenges for Children with Disabilities to engage in physical activity
While we understand the importance of physical activity, it’s also important to recognise the challenges faced by caregivers and children with disabilities. The most prominent of these being; physical accessibility, adaptive and assistive technology available, fear of judgement from others and lack of financial support. These are all valid and need to be considered before joining a sport and are important to be aware of when choosing an appropriate community or club.
Looking on the company website and seeing if they advertise inclusive or supported options is a great first step to see if the club is worth considering. Then if there are specific questions you have, calling and asking about the specific accessibility needs or supports you require to see if they are able to accommodate them allows you to make contact and find out information specific to your needs so you know if it is a “right fit” before booking and attending a class.
How to support children with disabilities to engage in physical activity
As a parent or carer of a child with disabilities, (if they are able) allowing them to have choice and control of the sport or type of activity they engage in is imperative for them to participate, enjoy and get the most out of it as possible. As the adult it is also important that you help facilitate this participation as they will often look to you to model behaviours so they know what is expected in regards to how to act in a new environment and interactions with new people. Going up to the coach or leader and introducing yourself allows the child to see this is a safe person that they can look to for help if needed and helps them feel comfortable in the new situation. Also explaining any specific needs or precautions to the coach prior to a lesson such as; “may need the explanation broken down to smaller steps” or “is unsteady on their feet and need a hand to hold”, keeps everyone on the same page as to what can be expected of the child and what supports will be needed.
Where to find inclusive clubs or groups locally:
- Disability Sports Australia: https://disabilitysportsaustralia3.my.salesforce-sites.com/NationalReferralHubSearch
- My Care Space: https://mycarespace.com.au/resources/find-an-inclusive-sport-in-nsw
- Disability Gateway: https://www.disabilitygateway.gov.au/advanced-search?keys=&f%5B0%5D=area_of_life%3A46&f%5B1%5D=area_of_life_child%3A21371&f%5B2%5D=links_paragraph_state%3A21236
- Name: Active Opportunities, Manly United FC, Lindfield FC
Location: Manly, Lindfield
Sport: Football / soccer
Link: https://www.activeopportunities.org.au/our-journey
Age/Population: Children 5+ years old with a disability
- Name: PCYC
Location: Dee Why
Sport: Boxing, Gym and fitness, court sports, recrations, martial arts
Link: https://www.pcycnsw.org.au/northern-beaches
Age/Population: All ages (differ per sport)
- Name: Collaroy Tennis Club (tennis accessibility)
Location: Collaroy
Sport: Tennis
Link: https://www.collaroytennisclub.com.au/collaroy-tennis-club-inclusion-policy/
Age/ population: Intellectual disability, Down Syndrome, Autism, wheelchair.
- Name: Manly Warringah Gymnastics Club
Location: Cromer
Sport: Gymnastics
Link: https://www.mwgymclub.com/programs/inclusion
Age/ population: All ages, all abilities
- Name: Rainbow Club Warringah
Location: Frenchs Forest, Freshwater
Sport: Swimming
Link: https://www.myrainbowclub.org.au/
Age/ population: Ages 3+ with physical, intellectual or sensory disabilities
- Name: Little Athletics,
Location: Manly Warringah, Mosman
Sport: Athletics
Link: https://lansw.com.au/
Age/ population: Ages 3+, all abilities
- Name: Boccia NSW,
Location: Northern Beaches
Sport: Boccia
Link: https://www.revolutionise.com.au/bocciansw/home/
Age/ population: Ages/ abilities not advertised
- Name: NSW water ski federation – disability division
Location: Hawkesbury, Manly Dam,
Sport: Waterskiing
Link: http://www.disabledwaterskinsw.com/
Age/ population: Ages/ abilities not advertised
- Name: Goalball – community
Location: Sydney city (sydney olympic park),
Sport: Goal Ball
Link: https://www.goalball.com.au/home/
Age/ population: Vision impairment, no ages advertised
- Name: Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
Location: Darling Point, New Beach Rd
Sport: Sailing
Link: https://makingwavesfoundation.com.au/content/992/our-programs
Age/ population: Ages/ abilities not advertised
- Name: Mobility chairs/ TrainRider and Hippocampe all-terrain
Location: Royal National Park, Morton National Park and Kosciuszko National Park
Sport: Walking tracks
Link: https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/access-friendly/mobility-chairs
Age/ population: Mobility restrictions, no ages advertised.
- Name: RSAC (recreation, sports and aquatic club)
Location: Bankstown
Sport: Basketball, Bocce, Cricket, Indoor Soccer, Karate, Soccer, Swimming, Tenpin Bowling, Tennis
Link: https://disabledsportrsac.org.au/
Age/ population: Not advertised
- Name: Aussie Kids Adventure Camps (newcastle)
Location: Newcastle
Sport: Mixed sports and activities
Link: https://aussiekidsadventurecamps.com.au/
Age/ population: Children with Autism, intellectual delay, mental health or trauma. Ages 7-16.
- Name: Community rowing club inc.
Location: Riverview, Leichhardt
Sport: Rowing
Link: https://communityrowing.com.au/
Age/ population: All abilities, ages not advertised.
- Name: Sydney Hills – gymnastics
Location: Bella Vista
Sport: Gymnastics
Link: https://www.sydneyhillsgymnastics.com.au/
Age/ population: Age/ ability not advertised.
- Name: Riding for the Disabled Association (NSW)
Location: Central west, Hunter, Metropolitan, Mid-North Coast, North Coast, Riverina, Southern Highlands
Sport: Horse riding
Link: https://rdansw.org.au/
Age/ population: Age/ ability not advertised
- Name: AFL/ Kickability
Location: Cardiff, Pennant Hills, Lincoln Oval, George Park, Greygums oval, Paddington
Sport: Football / AFL
Link: https://aflnswact.com.au/?id=5&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2959&tx_ttnews[backPid]=4&cHash=169be8e65f
Age/ population: All abilities, ages not advertised.
- Name: CPSARA
Location: Parramatta, Kensington
Sport: Athletics, swimming, cycling, football
Link: https://www.cpsara.org.au/
Age/ population: All ages, Cerebral Palsy and other neurological conditions
- Name: Disabled Winter Sports (DWS) (Not NDIS registered, but can claim aspects of it)
Location: Thredbo, Perisher, Jindabyne, Falls Creek
Sport: Skiing, snowboarding
Link: https://www.disabledwintersport.com.au/home/
Age/ population: Ages/ abilities not advertised
Resources for physical activity across Australia:
AllPlay Move
Blind Sports Australia
Cerebral Palsy Alliance – Sports Programs
Deaf Sports Australia
Disability Sports Australia
Discover Sailing – SailAbility
Paralympics Australia
Parkrun Australia
RaceRunning Australia
Reclink Australia
Special Olympics Australia
Australian Sports Commission – Sports ability
References
ConnectAbility. (2021, April 13). The Importance of Physical Activity for Children with Disabilities | ConnectAbility Australia. Connect Ability Australia. https://www.connectability.org.au/the-importance-of-physical-activity-for-children-with-disabilities/
Kim, J., Kim, J., Kim, Y., Han, A., & Nguyen, M. C. (2020). The contribution of physical and social activity participation to social support and happiness among people with physical disabilities. Disability and Health Journal, 14(1), 100974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2020.100974
Lakes, K. D., Neville, R. D., Abdullah, M., & Donnelly, J. (2020). Psychological Determinants of Physical Activity and Development in Early Childhood Among Children With Developmental Delays: The Role of Parent Beliefs Regarding the Benefits of Physical Activity. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2020.00104
Ploughman, M. (2008). Exercise is brain food: The effects of physical activity on cognitive function. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 11(3), 236–240. https://doi.org/10.1080/17518420801997007
