Attitudes of Australian Swimming Coaches towards Inclusion of Swimmers with an Intellectual Disability: An Exploratory Analysis

Abstract

Recent research has focused on athletes with physical disabilities, and as such, there is a marked void in the research literature surrounding athletes with intellectual disabilities (ID). In the context of Australian Swimming, athletes with an ID may have difficulty following directions, remembering strategies and staying on task. Coaches will likely include an athlete with ID out of obligation. These athletes are often subject to neglect; however, these behaviours are in-part guided by coaches' attitudes towards these athletes. The purpose of this study was to begin exploration into coaches' attitudes towards athletes with ID within the Australian context. Coaches were grouped (Group 1: Always; Group 2: Sometimes; Group 3 Never) according to recent (< 5 years) experience of including people with an intellectual disability in general settings. Multiple one-way analyses of variance between-groups found that Group 1 (p= .017) (M = 3.29) were more likely to have positive attitudes when compared with group 3 (M = 2.81). Group 1 were more likely (p= <.001) to have more favourable beliefs towards perceived confidence (M= 3.33) when compared with Group 2 (M = 2.68) and Group 3 (M = 2.36). Findings highlight the need for improved coach education to meet the needs of all participants in Government funded sports.