EDITORIAL S. H . I R W I N - C A R R U T H E R S MARCH 1979 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y 3 Since th is issu e o f th e J o u r n a l is d e v o te d to s p o rt fo r th e d is a b le d i t seem s a n o p p o r tu n e m o m e n t to lo o k a t th e a im s o f such s p o rts p ro g ra m m e s . M a n y and c o n flictin g s ta te m e n ts h a v e b e e n m a d e in th is r e g a r d , th e m a in c o n flict c e n trin g a r o u n d th e r e c re a ­ tio n a l as o p p o s e d to th e th e r a p e u tic v a lu e o f sp o rt. Some w rite rs b e lie v e th a t s p o r t s h o u ld b e e n te re d in to pu re ly f o r its re c r e a tio n a l v a lu e . S a lb re u x (1975) c o n ­ siders th a t to c o m p a re tr e a tm e n t a n d s p o r t is to re n o u n c e th e a im s o f o n e o r th e o th e r , a n d p ro b a b ly of b o th . B a rris h (1979) stresses n o t o n ly th e re c re a tio n a l value o f sp o rt, b u t a lso its r o le in so c ia l re -in te g r a tio n a n d w o rk -p re p a re d n e s s . T h e s e a sp e cts c o u ld s u re ly be c o n sid ere d t h e r a p e u tic — e v en if n o t f a llin g w ith in the b o u n d s o f p h y s ic a l th e ra p y ? ■ S p o rt f o r p a ra p le g ic s a n d o th e r s im ila rly p a ra ly s e d persons h a s b e e n e sta b lis h e d f o r m a n y y e a rs. M o re -recently it h a s b e e n e s ta b lis h e d , a lso a t i n te r n a tio n a l level, f o r a m p u te e s a n d th e b lin d . W ith in th e s e fields the c o n tro v e rs y b e tw e e n s p o r t a n d th e r a p y does n o t arise. W h ils t s p o rt is u n d o u b te d ly o f th e r a p e u tic v a lu e , in c o n tr ib u tin g to stre n g th , b a la n c e a n d d e x te rity , th is aspect is in c id e n ta l to p a r tic ip a ti o n in s p o r t f o r r e c r e ­ a tio n a l p u rp o s e s . W h e re th e c o n tro v e rs y ra g e s stro n g e st is in th e field o f c e re b ra l palsy. I t h a s b e e n p o in te d o u t by s e v e ra l a u th o r s (H u n t, 1955; H u b e r m a n , 1976; Irw in -C a rru th e rs a n d R ic h a rd s o n , 1976; H a r r is , 1978) th a t th e c o n sc io u s e ffo rt in v o lv e d in c o m p e titiv e s p o r t resu lts in in c re a s e d d is a b ility r a t h e r th a n im p ro v e d p e rfo rm a n c e . I n a d d itio n th e p re s e n t h a n d ic a p p in g system , b a se d u p o n lo c o m o to r a b ility , h a s p ro v e d to ta lly in a d e q u a te . As a re su lt H u b e r m a n (1974, 1976) q u e rie s w h e th e r th e c e re b ra l p a ls ie d s h o u ld ta k e p a r t in c o m p e titiv e sp o rt a t a ll, o r w h e th e r th e v s h o u ld r a th e r e n g ag e in p a rtic ip a tio n sp o rts o nly. H e h a s s ta te d c a te g o ric a lly th a t c e re b ra l p a ls ie d p e rso n s n e e d n o t (a n d c a n n o t, by v irtu e o f th e c o m p le x ity o f t h e ir p ro b le m s) h a v e th e sam e s p o rts e x p e rie n c e s as a b le -b o d ie d p e o p le . T h e o n n o sin g v ie w p o in t is h e ld b y m a n y p h y s ic a l e d u c a tio n ­ a lists in S o u th A f r ic a , w h o h a v e e x te n d e d th e p rin c ip le “e v e ry c h ild is e n title d to e d u c a ti o n ” to “ e v e ry c h ild is e n title d to p h y sic a l e d u c a tio n ” . P h v s ic a l e d u c a tio n a l- \ t s a re b e c o m in g in c re a s in g ly a c tiv e in sc h o o ls f o r th e p h y s i c a l l y h a n d ic a p p e d , o fte n b e in g p la c e d in th e ra p y posts, a n d g re a t im p o rta n c e is a tta c h e d to c o m p e titiv e sp o rt. B o th H u b e r m a n (1976) a n d I r w in - C a r r u th e r s a n d R ic h a rd s o n (1976) h a v e a tte m p te d to so lv e th is c o n tr o ­ versy by p ro p o s in g a h a n d ic a p p in g system b a se d u p o n Contents Editorial/Van die Redaksie ........................................... 3 South African Sports Association for Paraplegics and other Physically Disabled .......................... ... 4 Classification- in Sport for the Disabled ............... ... 5 Riding for the Disabled ............................................. .....6 Skiing with Cerebral Palsied Children: Experiences in Switzerland ..................................................... ... 8 Sport and the Child with a Learning Disability ... 10 in d iv id u a l p e r fo r m a n c e r a th e r th a n lo c o m o to r a b ility a n d b y su g g e stin g a s p o rts p ro g ra m m e o f a c tiv itie s se lec te d a n d a d a p te d so as to m in im iz e a b n o r m a l r e ­ a c tio n s a n d e n a b le th e p a r ti c ip a n t to p e r fo r m a t h is best. A n ew h a n d ic a p p in g sy ste m is a t p re s e n t b e in g d e v ise d a t in te r n a tio n a l level a n d w ill b e u se d a t th e 1980 I n te r n a tio n a l G a m es. S p o rt f o r th e d is a b le d in S o u th A fric a h a s ta k e n g re a t strid e s ' in th e few s h o rt y e a r s since its in tr o d u c ­ tio n . I w o u ld lik e to su g g e st a few a re a s w h ic h co u ld b e d e v e lo p e d fu r th e r . F ir s tl y th e re a p p e a rs to b e a n e e d f o r m o re s p o rtin g a c tiv itie s in w h ic h th e m in im a lly h a n d ic a p p e d can ta k e p a rt. S e c o n d ly , a r e th e r e n o t m o re s p o rts in w h ic h th e h a n d ic a p p e d c a n c o m p e te on e q u a l te rm s w ith th e ir a b le -b o d ie d c o u n te rp a rts ? T h ir d ly , m o re a tt e n ti o n co u ld b e p a id to d e v e lo p in g p a r tic ip a ti o n sp o rts f o r th e h a n d ic a p p e d as a n a lte r n a ­ tiv e to c o m p e titiv e sp o rt. L a s tly — n o t a ll a b le -b o d ie d p e rso n s a r e in te re s te d in s p o rt, n o r d o th e y a ll h a v e th e n e c e ssa ry p h y sic a l sk ills; s im ila r ly th e h a n d ic a p p e d . U n f o r tu n a te ly “ s p o r t” h a s b e c o m e s y n o n y m o u s w ith “ r e c r e a tio n ” , b u t th e re a re m a n y o th e r le is u re a c tiv itie s o f e q u a l re c re a tio n a l v a lu e . T h e M a rc h 1975 e d ito r ia l o f th e S .A .C .P .J. sta te d “ A g re a t d e al o f e m p h a sis is b e in g la id o n th e i m p o r ­ ta n c e o f “ s p o rt a n d le is u r e ” in th e liv es o f h a n d ic a p p e d p e o p le . P e rh a p s it is u n f o r t u n a t e th a t “ s p o r t” h a s r e ­ c e iv e d m o s t a tte n tio n . . . T h e n e e d s o f th e h a n d ic a p p e d in a re a s o f le is u re a c tiv ity a re as g re a t, if n o t g re a te r, th a n th o s e o f us w h o h a v e n o p h y sic a l h a n d ic a p .” R e fe re n c e s 1. B a rris h , M . (1979) S o u th A fric a n S p o rts A s so c ia tio n fo r P a ra p le g ic s a n d o th e r P h y s ic a lly D isa b le d , S. A . P h y s io th e r. J., c u r re n t issue. 2. H a r r is , S. R. (1978) N e u ro d e v e lo p m e n ta l tre a tm e n t a p p ro a c h f o r te a c h in g sw im m in g to c e re b ra l p a ls ie d c h ild re n , P h ys. T h e r., 58, 979 - 983. 3. H u b e rm a n , G . (1976) O rg a n ise d sp o rts activ ities w ith c e re b ra l p a lsie d a d o le sc en ts. P h y s io th e r., 62, 3 6 2 - 363. 4. H u b e rm a n , G . (1975) O rg a n is e d s p o rt a c tiv itie s w ith s p a s tic a d o le sc e n ts. S .A . C e re b ra l Palsy J., 19, 3-5. 5. H u n t. V. V . (1955) R e c re a tio n fo r th e h a n d ic a p p e d , N e w Y o rk , P re n tic e -H a ll. 6. Irw in -C a rru th e rs , S. H . a n d R ic h a rd s o n , W . E . (1976) A P re lim in a ry in v e stig a tio n in to s p o rt fo r th e c ere b ral p a ls ie d c h ild , S .A . C erebral P alsy J., 20, 2 1 - 2 5 . 7. S a lb re u x , R . (1975) S p o rt a n d tre a tm e n t: fre e d o m or r e s tra in t — leisu re o r e d u c a tio n , S .A . C erebral P alsy J., 19, 12-14. Inhoud Report on the Use of Biofeedback ......................... 11 The Need for Co-ordinated Research ........................13 News from Special Interest Groups .........................15 Branch News/Taknuus ............................................... Book Reviews ................................................................^ Vacancies/Vakatures............................................. 16, 21 Courses/Kursusse ....................................................... ...21 R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )