The term »children with special needs« encompasses an extremely diverse group of children, including both disabled and non-disabled children. It refers to a highly varied group of children with a wide range of needs that may limit their functioning in society and their participation in physical activities, consequently affecting their physical fitness. Due to all the positive effects associated with good physical fitness, it should be regarded as a valuable indicator of health. Children should be made aware of its importance and the significance of physical activity from an early age and encouraged to adopt healthy habits and a healthy active lifestyle. One way to achieve this is by including them in physical fitness testing.
Currently, there are several test batteries designed to assess and monitor physical fitness, but most of them are formulated for children in the general population, which may not be suitable for children with special needs. Therefore, the main objective of this master’s thesis was to enable feasible and valid testing for children with special needs, specifically children with intellectual disabilities, visual impairments, hearing impairments, children with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, and children with dysmelia. Based on a literature review, we examined their physical and motor characteristics or abilities, and gained a deeper understanding of their individual traits and needs. Using this information, we created a set of 69 tests that can evaluate individual components of physical fitness and assess their physical capabilities.
The results of these individual tests should primarily serve and be utilised to promote a healthy lifestyle and develop healthy habits for each individual, rather than for comparing individuals against each other.
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