Introduction: Sport is a type of physical activity that affects physical fitness and mental health, and enhances self-esteem and social interactions. It is also important during early childhood for the healthy growth and development of children. Purpose: To present the effect of participation in sports activities on children with intellectual disabilities and what is the task of the occupational therapist. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted, the search was conducted in the following databases: OTSeeker, CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science, Sportdiscus and Google Scholar. Additional literature was also obtained by manual screening of references. The criteria for the inclusion of literature were: children with intellectual disabilities, involvement in sports activities or in team sports and its influence, the tasks of occupational therapists in this, studies published from 2010 to 2022 in English and Slovenian. Qualitative and quantitative studies were included. Results: Twelve scientific sources were included in the final analysis, of which seven with a qualitative and five with a quantitative design. According to the synthesis of the sources, four content topics stood out: exclusion/stigmatization of children with intellectual disabilities when participating in sports activites, the importance of physical activity for children with intellectual disabilities, the importance of physical activity for children with intellectual disabilities, the impact of inclusive sports of children with intellectual disabilities on inclusion in the community, and the importance of occupational therapy in the inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in sports activities and their adaptations. Discussion and conclusion: The review of the literature showed that the inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in sports activites has advantages both in the physical area and in the area of communication, as well as in the inclusion in society. Occupational therapy can also contribute to the inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in sports activities, namely through various adaptations of activities for children with intellectual disabilities and raising awareness among local communities of organizations that support inclusion. It is necessary to promote the inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in sports activities and the participation of occupational therapists in this by identifying and taking into account the abilities and peculiarities of the individual child with intellectual disabilities, his wishes and the wishes of his parents, and raising awareness of organizations about people with intellectual disabilities.
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