Nie bójmy się karate w pracy z dziećmi z wieloraką niepełnosprawnością

Abstract

Sport is an important therapeutic and prophylactic factor. Psychologists believe that it helps to forget about disability as well as overcome mental barriers and fears. Karate is a discipline that developed over a thousand years ago as a fighting form that does not require any weapon but uses the natural means only, namely fists, elbows, knees, feet and the head. It became a school of toughening up the characters and a way of perfecting mental features. We practice karate to explore the potential of the strength of spirit hidden in our students, to overcome ourselves and to feel the joy of life. That is why karate classes have been conducted for five years in the Rehabilitation and Education Centre. The programme is addressed to children and adolescents with moderate and severe intellectual disability and with autism. The karate classes develop mainly the physical fitness of students. It has a positive influence on the harmonious development of the organism and of the proper bodily posture. For autistic children the classes are a form of socialization and increase the ability of imitating movement which is extremely important in the case of this disorder. One should not be afraid of using karate in work with children with multiple disabilities. Conducting the classes for disabled children has no downsides, carries no risks, has no counterarguments. Everything that children acquire during these classes works for their multifunctional advantage.