Bojana Milićević Marinković

The application of adapted sports activities has been increasingly prevalent and accepted with the aim of rehabilitation and occupational therapy of persons with developmental difficulties and disabilities. The importance, the positive effects and the wide spectrum of impacts on psycho-physical abilities are equally relevant for persons with disabilities, and the positive impact on social skills of this population is also beyond any doubt. The subject of this paper is a theoretical review of the research concerning the impact and application of adapted sports activities on motor and social abilities of persons with Down syndrome. The aim of the paper is to point out the adapted sports activities that have essential importance and impact on the overall progress of persons with disabilities and developmental difficulties. Sport, physical activity, and any kind of rehabilitation based on movement and exercise, will undoubtedly have a positive impact on users. The bibliographic speculative method was used as a research method, various literature was consulted and data relevant to the work were collected. Down syndrome as a genetic problem accompanied by many complications, from physical to intellectual ones, can be alleviated exactly by including sports activities in everyday life of persons with Down syndrome. If an adapted sports activity is individually tailored to the psychosomatic abilities of a person, as well as towards the goal they should reach, positive effects will undoubtedly show, both in physical and social functioning of persons with Down syndrome, with the ultimate goal being to improve the life quality of this population. The paper includes some studies in the fields of sports, medicine and psychology, which prove that appropriately dosed, applied and adapted sports activity can have a positive impact on persons with Down syndrome and that its application is very much desirable throughout entire life of this population.

Keywords: adapted sports activities, social skills, Down syndrome

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