Disability swimmingIngi Þór Einarsson

Ingi Þór Einarsson

Swimming nerd

Have worked with disabled swimmers at all levels for many years

MSc in Sport science◦ Race analysis

PhD nám◦ EMG◦ EIPET◦ Health ID

Ingi Þór Einarsson

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Approaching disability◦ Who is disabled

Competition opportunities for disabled◦ Special Olympics◦ Paralympics◦ Local opportunities

Classification of disability◦ Functional or medical

Teaching disabled◦ Individual approach◦ Few tricks

Structure of my talk

To have you look at disability in a fresh way.

If you are already good swimming teachers/coaches you are 95% ready to be good with disability

My goal!

Irish and Icelandic Physical Educators experiences in teaching students with special educational needs◦ 88% respondents had taught a student with a disability◦ 91% had no undergraduate adapted physical

education training◦ 51% “somewhat” competent in teaching students with

disabilities

Swimming teachers seems to be doing best

There is big need!

Disabled !

Google gives close to 100 Social welfare uses one IPC uses another

It all depends on your point of view

I use my own

Definition of Disability

The language we use may influence how other people view disability

We should always use the language and descriptions that people with disabilities indicated as appropriate for them

Appropriate language may vary between countries, different disabilities and individuals e.g. disabled people/people with disabilities

Expect great things from all!

Labelling is disabling

• People first, disability second Do not sensationalise Avoid generalising Avoid emotional terminology: suffering, victims,

struggles with, conquered Focus on ability, not level of impairment

Talk video

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Labelling is disabling

 

 

Motivators for taking part in swimming

Same for people with disabilities as for non-disabled◦ to keep fit◦ be with my friends◦ to relax◦ to enjoy my swimming◦ to be the best

To reduce the effect of my disability

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Disabled people DON’T need our pity nor sympathy

Disabled people need our understanding and sometimes our assistance

In short

If you feel like reading more up matters like this go to www.EIPET.EU

Its “off the shelf” material to help any one who works with disability in Physical activity context

Its free and everyone can use, either all or part of it.

EIPET

Two main directions

Special Olympics

Paralympics

Both great, but that’s about it, what they have in common

Opportunities for disabled swimmers

The biggest victory is to take part Mainly for Intellectually disabled, but not

closed to any one No classification before hand

◦ Swimmers race in heats in the morning (or entry time) and are then split in to groups 4-8 swimmers based on their time

Many sets of medals for each event Everyone has a fair chance of winning

Special Olympics

Big Global Games every four years Many regional and national games in most

countries Important that these opportunities are

pointed out to those who have a chance of taking part.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&hl=en&client=mv-google&v=5Y9k-U67FNg&nomobile=1

Special Olympics

Hard core competitions Who is the best Pre-competition classification Strict rules Big Paralympics games held every 4 year

following the Olympics in same venues

Many local and regional opportunities

Paralympic

In international swimming there are 3 main classification systems going on.

Visually impaired = Medical Classification

Physically disabled = Functional Classification

Intellectual disabled = Medical & Functional Classification

Classification for disabled swimmers

S11◦ No light perception in up to light perception but

inability to recognize the shape of hand at any distance

S12◦ Ability to recognize shape of hand up to visual

acuity of 2/60 and/or visual field of less than 5 degrees.

S13◦ Visual acuity above 2/60 up to 6/60 and/or visual

field of 5 –20 degrees.

Visual Impaired Classification

Compete in S1 – S10

Complicated system based on ability, not disability.

Different kind of disability often swim in the same class

Based on what the swimmer should be able to do with good training and help

Physical Disability Classification

Normal body has 300 points Then we subtract points for missing or non-

functioning limbs or body parts

Arms 130 points Legs 100 points Body 50 points Start 10 points Turns 10 points

Physical Disability Classification

Class S2

All you need is will!

Class S3

S7, SB5, SM6

S7 in Free SB5 in Breast SM6 in IM

Class S9 and S10

The classification panel is three people one medical and one swimming expert and one other. There is a: ◦ Bench test◦ Water test ◦ Competition observation

Repeat minimum of two times Leuven video link

Physical disability classification

Often need to combine classes◦ Due to few swimmers in each class

Reference formulas used Experience coaches put young children

approximately in classes in the beginning Important that this is done fairly

Local Competitions

ID included in Paralympics 1996 and 2000 ID took no part in 2004 and 2008 because

of lack of evidence and classification system Data collected between 2004 and 2010 both

in cognitive testing and race analysis

ID took part in EU 2009 and 2011 and worlds 2011

Will take part in London 2012

Brief history of ID swimming

1. Be on INAS-FID master listA. IQ test < 75B. QuestionnaireC. Before 18 years old

2. Apply to get on to IPC master list A. Sport specific questionnaireB. Cognitive test battery (five different tests)C. Sport specific test (SST)

S14 in IPC

Measure cognitive function that is related to ability to perform in sport

Cognetive test battery

ID AB

0/5 = 1/5 = 2/5 = SST3/5 = 4/5 = 5/5 =

Based on the relationship between stroke rate and swimming velocity

Relative stroking speed

Different pattern can be observed between S14- and AB swimmers

Sport Specific Test

30.000 35.000 40.000 45.000 50.000 55.000 60.0000.900

1.000

1.100

1.200

1.300

1.400

1.500

1.600

1.700

1.800

1.900

200 crawl S14

Stroke rate (str/min)

Ve

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m/s

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30.000 35.000 40.000 45.000 50.000 55.000 60.0000.900

1.100

1.300

1.500

1.700

1.900

2.100

200 crawl S14 and elite

Stroke rate (str/min)

Ve

locit

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m/s

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Swimmer who is scoring more “normal”, that

is 2/5 on the cognitive test battery, and are

swimming like an elite AB swimmer; do not

show diminished ability to perform at a high

level in swimming, and should there for not

be swimming under IPC rules!

In short

Iceland◦ NPC if@isisport.is◦ SÓ annak@isisport.is

Færeyjar◦ NPC tora@isb.fo ◦ SÓ tora@isb.fo

Denmark◦ NPC michael.mollgaard.nielsen@dhif.dk◦ SÓ sjk@dhif.dk

Contacts

Finnland◦ NPC kimmo.mustonen@paralympia.fi◦ SO riikka.juntunen@vammaisurheilu.fi

Sweden◦ NPC Hans.Safstrom@shif.rf.se◦ SO annica.walther@shif.rf.se

Norway◦ NPC Arnfinn.Vik@idrettsforbundet.no◦ SO geir@specialolympics.no

Contacts

There are many guidelines around to help us pedagogically to work with disabled

We have all learned in school what is good teaching in general

Teaching/coaching disabled

Gain attention first Provide information in

chunks Use appropriate

language Pause frequently –

give time to process & respond

Repeat and simplify information

Stress important words in sentences

Be clear about the order of events (first, then)

Have defined end to event

Say what you mean Avoid negatives Use demonstration

& visual supports

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Strategies to improve understanding for ADHD and Autism

Visual queing can also work miracles

No matter who it is everyone needs the same to learn to swim.

Security◦ Breathing, holding breath, water in face

Balance◦ Float in front and back

Limbs◦ Symmetrically and asymmetrically movements

Technical Guides

Autism◦ Often find symmetrically swims easier to master◦ Low perception of intensity level

ADHD◦ Can be VERY good swimmers in right settings◦ Skills takes longer to master – build clear frame

ID◦ Low perception of intensity level◦ Skills are not stable◦ Too weak

Some trial and errors finding

Amputee◦ Legs and arms create similar problems◦ Need to work hard to find the right rhythm

Paralyzed◦ Difficult to hit the right intensity zone◦ Body position is the name of the game

CP◦ Need longer to recover from hard training◦ Need sometimes very special skill adaptations

Visually impaired◦ Skills unstable◦ Needs on-hand teaching

Some trial and error finding

Online system www.swimties/learn

Material for coaches and teachers

Special chapters for disabled, but mostly general stuff.

To learn more

Integration is more and more common We all need to be specialist in disability

swimming Its important that PE teachers know how

and where to channel disabled swimmers

KISS

Take home message

Thank you for listening