Inclusive Extracurricular Activities as a Pathway to Social Inclusion in High Schools

• In Event: 47.096 - MTCC Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: 47.096-11 - Beyond the Schoolhouse Door: Full Participation for Individuals With Disabilities

Abstract

The present study focused on the value of extracurricular activities at the high school level in promoting the social inclusion of students with intellectual disability (ID). Data were collected from twelve high schools, six of which implemented the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools (UCS) program, involving inclusive sports, clubs, and schoolwide events. A matched pretest-posttest design was used to measure students’ attitudes, perceptions, and social interactions (n = 1,854). Lagged dependent variable modeling revealed that participation in UCS activities improved students’ attitudes toward peers with ID and perceptions of school social inclusion, and increased students’ social interactions with peers with ID. Inclusive extracurricular activities may be the next step forward in the education of students with ID.

Authors

• Emily McDowell, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Holly Jacobs, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Jeffrey Stokes, Illinois State University

• Andrea Cahn, Special Olympics

• Gary Siperstein, University of Massachusetts - Boston