Aspects regarding the integration of children with special educational needs through participation in physical education

Abstract

Background: ‪Special education offers ways to the best capitalization of the possibilities that children in difficulty may have. These children, and especially those with mental and behavioral disabilities, need additional, competent supervision from specialists. Children and young people with special needs (SEN) are included in social (re)integration programs whose objectives can also be achieved through sport activities. Material and methods: In the high school where the research was conducted, during the observational practice, students with mild special educational needs are integrated into mainstream education and participate in physical activities. Results: ‪70.40% of the secondary school students and 71.10% of the primary school students agree with the inclusion of students with SEN in teams with the other students in the physical education class, and 16.60% and 14.50%, respectively, consider that they should be relieved of effort, while 13% and 14.50% want to practice separate classes. Conclusions: ‪The results of the study show that students with disabilities can be integrated through physical education activities, being accepted and encouraged by their peers. However, the lack of specialized teachers raises certain barriers in achieving the integration of people with SEN.