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Recreation
Recreation benefits EVERYONE. Physical activity produces overall
physical, mental, and social benefits. Inactive children are
likely to become inactive adults. According to the American
Heart Association, physical activity helps with:
- controlling weight
- reducing blood pressure
- raising HDL ("good") cholesterol
- reducing the risk of diabetes and some kinds of cancer
- improved overall well-being, including gaining more
self-confidence and higher self-esteem
- increased life expectancy
Health promotion activities are critical for people with
disabilities who are prone to have a more inactive lifestyle
and have more of a chance for under, over, or misuse of
various muscle groups. For many children with special needs
being active is an important part of getting and staying
healthy. Recreation provides an opportunity to further develop
social skills and keep the brain functioning.
 Promoting
the Participation of Children with Disabilities in Sports,
Recreation, and Physical Activities
Published: PEDIATRICS, May 2008 (Clinical Report)
Author: Nancy Murphy, MD, Paul S. Carbone, MD and the Council on Children with
Disabilities
The role of the Medical Home:
- A medical home can play an important role in promoting
physical activity by providing community recreation resources
or support groups to a child/youth and their families.
- A medical home team can help families keep and support
routine living skills through physical activities and
therapies designed to help children achieve goals that
will support their individual care plan.
- A medical home can look at barriers that are preventing
the child/youth and family from involvement in recreational
activities and offer support and resources.
National Initiatives for Recreation/Fitness
National AAP Initiatives on Physical Fitness for
Children and Youth www.aap.org/healthtopics/physact.cfm
National Initiative on Physical Fitness for Children
and Youth with Disabilities
The Office on Disability of the US Department of
Health and Human Services (OD/HHS) and the President's Council
on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) are sponsoring a
National Initiative to enhance physical activity, good nutrition,
fitness, and healthy lifestyles in children and youth with
disabilities. The Initiative will link physically fit adults
with and without disabilities as mentors to motivate children
with disabilities to adopt the lifestyle of becoming and
remaining physically active and fit throughout their lifetime.
To read more about this important initiative, click
here.
A Message from the President's Council on Physical
Fitness and Sports
The President's Council on Physical Fitness
and Sports (PCPFS) is pleased to recognize Bright Futures
in Practice: Physical Activity for its role in promoting
physical activity and healthy behaviors for our nation's
infants, children, and adolescents. The PCPFS has worked
hard over the years to improve the fitness of children and
adolescents throughout the United States, and we believe
that this guide will help many children and adolescents
lead more active and healthy lives. www.brightfutures.org/physicalactivity/frontmatter/viii.html
Web
Sites/Recreational Organizations
National Center
on Accessibility: Recreation - Parks - Tourism
A collaborative program of Indiana University and
the National Park Service, the National Center on Accessibility
is the nation’s premiere resource promoting access
for people with disabilities in recreation. Over the last
decade, NCA has played a critical role in increasing awareness
of inclusion of people with disabilities in parks, recreation
and tourism while advancing the spirit and intent of the
Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act and
other disability legislation. ncaonline.org/about/
The National Center on Physical Activity
and Disability (NCPAD)
The mission of the National Center on Physical Activity
and Disability (NCPAD) is to promote substantial health
benefits that can be gained from participating in regular
physical activity. The slogan of NCPAD is Exercise is for
EVERY body, and every person can gain some health benefit
from being more physically active. This site provides information
and resources that can enable people with disabilities to
become as physically active as they choose to be. www.ncpad.org/
Powerful Bones.
Powerful Girls. Web
Site for Parents
A new Web site for parents with resources and creative ways
to help your daughters make healthy choices that build and
maintain strong bones. The site has useful information on
how to help your daughter develop lifelong bone-healthy
habits.
Camps for Children with Special Needs
Kids Camps
www.kidscamps.com/
Guide on how to pick the perfect
Summer Camp for Your Kids
- The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN UCEDD)
is planning its fifth summer of camps for children, youth,
and young adults.
Two 3-week day camps for children and teens with
autism will focus on social skills acquisition;
these camps were developed by the Vanderbilt Treatment and
Research Institute on Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD).
A 4-week day camp, in partnership with the Down
Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee, addresses
academic and life skills for teens and young adults. The
Frist Center for the Visual Arts provides art instruction.
A new 3-week day camp on transitions serves
students with developmental disabilities.
For the second year, a 1-week residential music
camp will be held for youth and young adults with
Williams syndrome, in partnership with the National Williams
Syndrome Association and the Vanderbilt Blair School of
Music. Undergraduate and graduate students in an array of
disciplines at Vanderbilt and other area universities serve
as counselors and teachers, gaining valuable experience
working with children and youth with disabilities. Across
the camps, research ranges from studies of sibling relationships
to brain imaging.
For information, call (615) 322-8147 or go to: http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy/community/summercamps.html
Sports
Special Olympics
Special
Olympics Healthy Athletes is a program designed to help
Special Olympics athletes improve their health and fitness.
This leads to an enhanced sports experience and improved
well being. Athletes receive a variety of health services
through clinics conducted in welcoming environments at Special
Olympics competitions, while health care professionals learn
about the health needs of Special Olympics athletes and
gain confidence and satisfaction in volunteering their skills
to an underserved population. To find the closest Special
Olympic Program in your neighborhood, click
here.
A database of health care professionals willing to
treat patients with intellectual disabilities is under development.
Physicians interested in enrolling in this voluntary directory
should visit the link above. Once the directory is filled
with providers, it will be made available to the public.
Disability and Sports Training
A
list of resources and links to disabled sport organizations.
Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (K.E.E.N)
(K.E.E.N.) is a non-profit, volunteer organization that provides
free, one-to-one recreational opportunities for children
and young adults with mental and physical disabilities in
a non-competitive environment, which encourages the fulfillment
of individual goals. K.E.E.N. seeks to develop each athlete's
self-esteem and confidence, and to increase each athlete's
ability to participate in a broader range of recreational
activities and environments. Each athlete has his or her
own volunteer coach at our activities, which currently include
soccer, tennis, track and field, basketball, swimming, aerobics,
bowling, and various adaptive activities.
Yoga
Yoga
for the Special Child™ is a comprehensive program
of yoga techniques designed to enhance the natural development
of children with special needs. Our style of yoga is gentle
and therapeutic - safe for babies and children with Down
Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Microcephaly, Autism and other
developmental disabilities. These methods also provide an
effective treatment for children diagnosed with Attention
Deficit Disorder, ADHD and Learning Disabilities.
Last Updated
August 18, 2008
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