Just over a decade ago, the U.S. Department of Education reported that 95 percent of children with physical disabilities like cerebral palsy were prevented from full access to sports programs. While there have been efforts to change this fact, much still needs to be done. That’s where the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs (AAASP) comes in.

What is the AAASP?

Understanding the importance of school-based sports in the educational process, the AAASP created a model of interscholastic athletics geared toward students with disability. The adaptedSPORTS™Model is school-system based and:
 

• Establishes guidelines for participation, implementation, compliance and standardization
• Administers coach training and certification
• Develops rules of competition for each sport

Member programs are required to adhere to a schedule of seasonal sports, including wheelchair handball in the fall, wheelchair basketball and power soccer in the winter, and track and field, beep baseball and wheelchair football in the spring.

To learn more about the AAASP and member programs, visit the organization’s website at www.adaptedsports.org.

Tags: "cerebral palsy child" "Cerebral Palsy Resources" AAASP "adapted SPORTS"