Influence of adaptive sports on social integration and adaptation of children with disabilities

An adaptive sport is an integral part of modern sport having a huge social significance. The article reveals the actual problem of social-psychological adaptation of persons with impaired intellectual functions through specially-organized sporting activities. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of sports on the level of socio-psychological adaptation of persons with disabilities. Results presented in the article confirm that adaptive physical culture and sports activities help inmates of correctional educational institutions of closed type solve the most intricate problems of socialization. They are educational and humanistic in nature, and are aimed at: the development of spiritual strength, abilities and skills allowing an athlete to overcome life''s obstacles; the formation of character and moral responsibility in situations of adapting to the social environment; providing opportunities for personal and professional growth, for self-realization of an athlete; the creation of conditions for self-development of the creative personality of an athlete and the disclosure of his creative potentials. It is revealed that the orientation of the personality of an athlete doing adaptive sports can be considered as the result of the attitude of an athlete to people, to themselves, to society in general, and his desire to play sports participating in competitions, the need for achievement of high sports results. So level of psychosocial adaptation of athletes with impaired intellectual function who play football can increase by more than 30%.