Sports therapy for children with behaviour disorders

By Al Gondi

Sport has proved to be of great value as a specific method in clinical treatment of children with behaviour disorders.

The characteristics of behaviour disorders are: a quick slackening of readiness for exertion, a considerably reduced frustration tolerance, intensified or greatly activity or aggressiveness, increased instability of emotions and moods, disproportion fears and fixed disturbances of relationship with authorities.

These disturbances can be subjected to continuous treatment through weekly scouting games, swimming, football, and with small groups.

Combat sports such as wrestling, judo and boxing can also be practiced. It is that the size of the gymnasium must correspond to the size of the group.

If the gymnasium is too small, the space for free movement and deployment will be too narrow. If it is too big, individuals will go astray, communication with the instructor will be difficult and it will hardly for groups to form spontaneously.

After changing clothes, the children enter the gymnasium with several responsible adults and bring out the game equipment, which they best like, the initiative being left upon them.

The adults confine themselves to giving advice and help. Three to four groups are formed immediately and start playing intensively with equipment of their choice.

The remaining children, mostly timid or handicapped in movement, gather around the instructors who activate them by means of simple and informal games as climbing game balls, and attempt gradually to make them play with the others, or to treat their movement inhibitions or fear of certain sports equipment systematically according to the learning principle of smallest increments.

When the children have played for some 15 minutes the group assembles them on a long bench or a large mat.

By this time they will have finished one or several examples of conspicuous behaviour, usually acts of violence or quarrels in the use of some equipment, which makes it necessary for the group leader to clarify the situation.

He/she then suggests that they play running exercises, which give free rein to the children’s imagination and idea of creative variations. After a phase of about 10 minutes of joint

engagement the children are again allowed to play as they like. The adults look individual children or small groups and only intervene if quarrels or other troubles start which the children are unable to settle themselves.

The frequency of the group leader’s intervention which aim at joint activities depends on the ability of the group to manage itself.

Therapeutic sports and games organised in this manner provide excellent means of changing social behaviour. It also helps the children behaviour disorders removes themselves from the assistance and direction of adults to self dependence.

— Dr Gondi, a medical practitioner, is a member of National Olympic Committee’s Medical Commission and board member of Regional Anti-Doping Organisation.