Teaching Sport Skills to Brain-Injury Students: An Example in Swimming

The number of people who experience a brain injury increases every year, and 40 percent of all cases involve children (Hill, 1999). In fact, this high rate has led brain injury to become the most commonly acquired disability among children (Bigge, Best, & Heller, 2001), leading to a variety of primary disabilities that affect cognition, personality, speech, memory, attention, and motor ability (Finsett & Andersson, 2000). Secondary problems often result from these primary disabilities, such as immobility and other health problems associated with being sedentary, including depression, stress, and decreased social contacts. These various disabilities challenge the teachers of students with a brain injury to provide lifetime sport-skill programs, so that these students can be active in recreational settings, even after they have finished school. This article presents an example of a lifetime sport-skill program that will be helpful to general educators, physical education teachers, adapted physical education teachers, and coaches working with students who have a brain injury. The article walks the reader through the development and implementation of such a program, designed for a fictional student, Scott, who suffers from a brain injury. Although Scott is a fictional character, his disabilities and the problems he faces are typical of a student with a brain injury. Practitioners should remember that suggestions are offered as guidelines, and depending on the student, adaptations to the program design can be made as appropriate. The first part of this article provides information about the importance of collaborating with other people when creating a lifetime sport-skill program. The article then offers practical suggestions on how to design and implement such a program. (Contains 1 table.)