INCLUSIVE TENNIS

Guided by the experiences of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder, the Association organizes a tennis program for children with disabilities. A special program was initiated in order to provide children with a new experience and opportunity to learn or apply the learned behaviors through the tennis program.

The program is based on a customized functional training program that is applicable to all people with special needs, but is designed as a therapeutic treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM, 2017), functional training is a neuromotor exercise program that integrates motor skills such as balance, coordination, gait, agility, and proprioceptive training.

The program is based on the basic exercises of the program adapted to people with disabilities and additional kinesiological content published in a professional publication entitled “Proposed program of kinesitherapy treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders” (L. Pintar Osredečki and A. Naumovski, 2010).

A small number of children have the opportunity to be part of normal sports activities (especially team activities) or some other events that are not part of therapeutic treatments or family celebrations. Parents themselves have more and more inquiries about how to organize the child’s free time, because with all the efforts achieved by the joint efforts of parents and professionals involved in child development, there remains a partial problem in establishing quality and spontaneous relationships with peers in unstructured situations such as birthdays, playing on playgrounds, etc.

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