General Tips: Working with Children with Disabilities
Knowing the children you are working with is crucial because not all strategies will work for everybody. Therefore, trial and error will be your best tip when interacting with individuals with disabilities. However, below are some tips to help engage these individuals or redirect some common challenging behaviors while playing baseball.
Always encourage social interaction between peers.
For individuals that have difficulty hearing or understanding verbal communication, use visuals (picture boards, cones, etc.).
Use "First-Then" language to help redirect unwanted behavior. For example, "First hit the ball, then run to first base."
Give individuals 2 options to choose from. For example, "Your can run or walk the bases."
Give frequent movement breaks. Some individuals have difficulty attending or sit still for extended amounts of time.
Parents are going to be your best resource for specific needs of their child.
Get to know the individual you are working with; what are their likes and dislikes? Find out what they are good at and tailor your assistance based on their strengths.
If an individual is having difficulty completing an activity (throwing, catching, swinging the bat, etc.), break down the steps of the activity and determine the part of the activity the individual is having problems. Once you determine the challenging part of the activity, make modifications or adaptations so the individual can be successful.
Some general adaptations include:
Use different-sized balls
Use a "Beep" ball for individuals who have blindness or low vision
Use softer balls
Use different-sized bats
Use a batting tee
Reduce the distance between the bases
Some sensory recommendations for children with sensory modulation challenges:
Sunglasses
Noise-reduction devices, ear plugs
Compression shirts
(Adhvaryu et al., 2022; Charkalis, 2021; Harbach et al., 2020; Ong et al., 2018; Ruggeri et al., 2019; Stewart, 2023; Yamamoto, 2017)
