Physical Education Effect On Social Adaptation Of Children With Visual Impairments

Abstract

This article presents a study of sporting activities motives and their effect on social adaptation and integration of children with visual impairments. The search and elaboration of means, forms and methods, ensuring equal conditions both for classes with children during their inclusive education and for classes with visually handicapped children within any special institutions allow determining the importance of adaptive physical education and adaptive sports in the light of social adaptation of such children into the present-day society. An analysis of sporting activities motivation was made to determine the influence of sports clubs activities on socialization of children with visual impairments. Nikolayev’s method (2003) determined the basic motives of sporting activities of children with special needs. The rating scale was reduced up to 5 points for the children attending special (rehabilitative) schools to ease their answers. The study identified the most and the least significant sporting activities motives for the schoolchildren in general schools and those with visual impairments, who are engaged in sports clubs. Motives aimed at the sporting activity process itself and personal development are the most significant motives for all schoolchildren. A “Material reward” is considered as the least significant by the schoolchildren. In general, it was determined that physical education and sports have a clear effect on social adaptation of children with visual impairments.