Children with significant disabilities will have more opportunities to play sports during the school day and participate on teams with nondisabled students, due to a partnership between the Special Olympics and the public schools.
Chancellor David Banks announced Monday new physical education and after-school sports programs for students with emotional challenges, autism, cognitive delays and other disabilities that require intensive support in District 75′s specialized schools. District 75 is the city’s district for children with students with significant challenges.
“Sports are one of the ways for our students to develop new skills, develop leadership, confidence, and most importantly, to make new friends and build a connection to school and community,” Banks said, at the Hunters Point Campus in Long Island City, where special and general education schools share a building.
More than 1,700 students with disabilities are expected to participate in track and field, volleyball and basketball during school hours through the initiative. Another 200 high school students with and without disabilities can join an after-school basketball team, while 200 middle school students can sign up for bocce.
Students from the District 75 program at the Riverview School, and the Academy for Careers in Television and Film, started practicing basketball together four weeks ago. The team, known as the Otters, won their first game on Saturday.
“Before this program began, I most likely never would have met my new teammates from the Riverview School. And now we are more than teammates — we’re friends,” said Omar Shuaib, a sophomore at the Academy for Careers in Television and Film.
“The purpose of our team is not only to play basketball but also to help my new teammates learn and develop basketball and social skills,” he added.
Research by Special Olympics shows that student-athletes feel included and have a more positive perception of school, plus improved attendance…
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