Sports Medicine: Just the Facts

2. On-site event affiliated programs involve dentistry,
   optometry, audiology, nutrition, podiatry, physical
   therapy, and health educators.


3. Data on the health status and needs of people with
   mental retardation is collected, analyzed, and
   used for planning, programs, and policy develop-
   ment.


4. Current initiatives: Special Smiles, Lions Clubs
   International Opening Eyes, Healthy Hearing,
   Health Promotion, and FUN fitness.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family
Physicians, American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine,
American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American
Osteopathic Society for Sports Medicine: Preparticipation
physical evaluation monograph, 2nd ed. New York, NY,
McGraw Hill, 1997.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports
Medicine and Fitness: Atlantoaxial instability in Down syn-
drome: Subject review. Pediatrics96:151–154, 1995.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports
Medicine and Fitness: Medical conditions affecting sports par-
ticipation. Pediatrics107:1205–1209, 2001.
Batts KB, Glorioso JE, Williams MS: The medical demands of
the special athlete. Clin J Sport Med 8:22–25, 1998.
26th Bethesda Conference: Recommendations for determining
eligibility for competition in athletes with cardiovascular
abnormalities. J Am Coll Cardiol24:845–899, 1995.
Birrer RB: The special Olympics: An injury overview. Phys
Sportsmed 12:95–97, 1984.
Carek PJ, Dickerson LM, Hawkins A: Special Olympics, special
athletes, special needs? J S C Med Assoc 98:183–186, 2002.
Fountain NB, May AC: Epilepsy and athletics. Clin Sports Med
22:605–616, 2003.
Galena HJ, Epstein CR, Lourie RJ: Connecticut State Special
Olympics: Observations and recommendations. Conn Med
62:33–37, 1998.
McCormick DP: Medical coverage for Special Olympics games,
in Team Physician’s Handbook, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA,
Hanley & Belfus, 1997.
McCormick DP, Niebuhr VN, Risser WL: Injury and illness sur-
veillance at local Special Olympic games. Br J Sports Med
24:221–224, 1990.
Perlman SP: Special Olympics athletes and the incidence of
sports-related injuries. J Mass Dent Soc 43:44–46, 1994.
Pizzutillo PD: The cervical spine in the child, in Delee and Drez’s
Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA,
Saunders, 2003.
Robson HE: The Special Olympics games for the mentally hand-
icapped—United Kingdom 1989. Br J Sports Med
24:225–230, 1990.
Smith BJ: Treatment of status epilepticus. Neurol Clin
19:347–369, 2001.

Smith D: Health care management of adults with Down syn-

drome. Am Fam Phys 64:1031–1040, 2001.

Special Olympics: http://www.specialolympics.org. Retrieved October

15, 2003.

Zupanc ML: Sports and epilepsy, in Delee and Drez’s

Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA,

Saunders, 2003.

100 THE DISABLED ATHLETE

Paul F Pasquina, MD

Halli Hose, MD

David C Young, MD

INTRODUCTION

•“Athletic competition is inherent to the human spirit”

(Bergeron, 1999). This holds true for persons with or

without disabilities.

• There are an estimated 43 million disabled people in
  the United States.


• Approximately 12% of the school-aged population in
  the United States has a disability.


• There are two to three million recreational and com-
  petitive disabled athletes in the United States.


• Of the estimated 43 million disabled, over 60% never
  participate in any physical or social activity.


• While many opportunities exist for individuals with
  disabilities, the two most limiting factors for participa-
  tion in athletics are awareness and access (Wu and
  Williams, 2001). Healthcare practitioners should make
  every effort to inform these individuals of the multiple
  opportunities and encourage their participation.


• Federal Rehabilitation Act—1973
  
  
  • Prohibits exclusion of otherwise qualified individu-
    als from participation in federally funded programs.
  
  
  
  


• The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
  •Legal statutes govern whether team physicians can
  determine participation eligibility.
  
  
  • Informed consent—allows athlete greater responsi-
    bility in decision making.
  
  
  • Extends rights to include private sectors.
  
  
  • Requires reasonable accommodations.
  
  
  
  

HISTORY

• Perhaps the two most well-known competitions that
  exist for individuals with disabilities are the Special
  Olympicsand Paralympics. The goal of each is very

586 SECTION 7 • SPECIAL POPULATIONS