抄録
This study involved a questionnaire survey of the parents of children with physical disabilities in March 2012. The questionnaire consisted of 30 items regarding the types of school the children attended, the school grade, the ambulatory ability, the frequency of participation in gymnastics classes, and the status of participation in sports activities other than gymnastics classes. A total of 90 valid survey responses were obtained. The participation rate in gymnastics classes exceeded 88% in all schools, including those students who were restricted regarding the types of sports they could play. Many of the children who attended general public schools participated in sports activities other than gymnastics classes, while many of the students who attended special schools had no experience of participating in sports activities. Relatively older children did not have much interest in sports. We analyzed the data of 78 mothers using a phenomenological approach, and were able to classify their feelings about sports participation into the following 3 exhaustive descriptions: “sense of alienation,” “the presence of expectations for the child’s growth,” and “concern about the negative impacts brought about by having new challenges.” The results suggest the need to provide support for sports participation by older children and to build a support system that can prevent mothers from developing a sense of alienation.
