earticle

영어

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences and meanings of participants leading and helping youth with developmental disabilities in the special sports activities. For data collection, qualitative methods including participant observation and in-depth interviews with 13 participants were adopted in a special sports activity program in the welfare center for the disabled, local S city. The results are as follows. The participants’ experiences were categorized with two main themes such as difficulties/frustration and happiness/joy. In terms of difficulties and frustration, there were difficulties recognizing individual characteristics of youth with disabilities, dealing with casual problem behaviors and communication, and playing their own roles, and frustration related with unstable and poor condition for activities. In terms of happiness and joy, there were pleasure finding improvement of youth physical movement and attitude changes, realizing youth potential to do, reflecting their own prejudices and forming new perspectives on disability, and having time of their own selves’ development. Based on these findings, several implications were discussed for the youth with disabilities to extend their chances to have special sports activities.